RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Peachbottom Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 3 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Gold, Silver) and 7 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as past producer for Lead. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Gold, Feldspar, Pyrite, Galena, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 36.517, -81.217. 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?
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
2 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
2 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
1 site
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
1 site
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
1 site
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
1 site
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
1 site
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Barite 1Bornite 1Chalcopyrite 1Galena 1Malachite 1Molybdenite 1Pyrite 1Silver 1Sphalerite 1Ilmenite 1Commodities
Iron 3Lead 1Manganese 1Barium-Barite 1Silver 1Copper 1Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peachbottom Mine | Lead | Barite, Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Malachite, Molybdenite, Pyrite, Silver, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 36.517, -81.217 |
| New River | — | Ilmenite | Occurrence | 36.550, -81.150 |
| Carrico Pits | — | — | Occurrence | 36.550, -80.966 |
| Crouse Knob/Bald Knob Mines | Manganese | — | Past Producer | 36.540, -81.117 |
| Bald Knob Deposit | — | — | Past Producer | 36.539, -81.082 |
| James H Parks Prospect | Iron | — | Past Producer | 36.470, -81.126 |
| Lee Pugh Prospect | Iron | — | Prospect | 36.570, -81.349 |
| Maxwell Copper Mine | — | — | Past Producer | 36.518, -81.219 |
| John L. Pugh Prospect | Iron | — | Prospect | 36.567, -81.350 |
| Phipps Prospect | Barium-Barite | — | Prospect | 36.572, -81.255 |
Nearby counties
Ashe County · Surry County · Wilkes County · Watauga County · Yadkin 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