RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Adams Hiddenite and Emerald Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 2 gem or collectible minerals (Tourmaline, Quartz) and 5 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as past producer for Emerald. Minerals mentioned: Tourmaline, Quartz, Mica, Feldspar, Pyrite. Approx. location 35.903, -81.103. USGS record.
Ask first: a USGS record doesn’t mean you can visit. Find out who owns the land and get permission before collecting.
Field cards: what kind of sites?
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
Was producing when the record was made.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
9 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
2 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
2 sites
Tourmaline
Mohs 7–7.5. Long striated crystals, often black (schorl) or green and pink (elbaite). Mindat
1 site
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Hiddenite 2Quartz 1Rutile 1Commodities
Mica 6Emerald 3Gemstone 2Granite 1Kyanite 1Feldspar 1Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hiddenite Occurrence | Gemstone | Hiddenite | Occurrence | 35.901, -81.109 |
| Pyler-Benfield Hiddenite-Emerald Pit | Gemstone | Hiddenite, Quartz, Rutile | Producer | 35.906, -81.088 |
| Unnamed Stone Quarry Ei-002 | Granite | — | Producer | 35.963, -81.120 |
| Benfield Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 35.828, -81.319 |
| Blankenship Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 35.869, -81.140 |
| Ellendale Sch Sillimanite Deposit | Kyanite | — | Occurrence | 35.927, -81.277 |
| Gwaltney Prospects | Mica | — | Prospect | 35.876, -81.107 |
| Hammer Prospects | Mica | — | Prospect | 35.825, -81.092 |
| Dagenhart Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 35.882, -81.154 |
| Ellis Mine | Emerald | — | Past Producer | 35.914, -81.099 |
| Adams Hiddenite and Emerald Mine | Emerald | — | Past Producer | 35.903, -81.103 |
| Mattlock Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 35.901, -81.091 |
| O F Patterson Mine | Feldspar | — | Past Producer | 35.894, -81.082 |
| Payne Prospect | — | — | Prospect | 35.881, -81.086 |
| Rist Mine | Emerald | — | Past Producer | 35.911, -81.084 |
Nearby counties
Iredell County · Wilkes County · Catawba County · Caldwell County · Lincoln County
North Carolina mineral guides
- Beryl in North Carolina
- Tourmaline in North Carolina
- Quartz in North Carolina
- Garnet in North Carolina
- Gold in North Carolina
- Mica in North Carolina
Back to all North Carolina counties.
How we built this page: we counted named sites in the USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) for this area, left out sand, gravel, crushed stone, clay pits and unnamed sites, grouped them by Census county, and linked every site to its USGS record. We did not visit these sites, and MRDS does not tell you who owns the land or whether collecting is allowed.
Source: USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS). USGS ceased systematic updates to MRDS around 2011, so status and details may be out of date. Each site links to its USGS record.
Updated