RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Smoky No. 2 Magnetite Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 2 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Garnet) and 4 of our card minerals overall. That ties with 1 other site(s), so we broke the tie by mine status (past producers first), then USGS record quality, then name. USGS lists it as past producer for Iron. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Garnet, Feldspar, Magnetite. Approx. location 36.135, -81.965. 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.
Was producing when the record was made.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Status not recorded.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
189 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
112 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
12 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
12 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
9 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
4 sites
Tourmaline
Mohs 7–7.5. Long striated crystals, often black (schorl) or green and pink (elbaite). Mindat
2 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Muscovite 9Mica 6Magnetite 6Feldspar 5Kaolin 4Quartz 4Olivine 2Talc 2Pitchblende 1Uraninite 1Chromite 1Vermiculite 1Commodities
Mica 168Feldspar 53Iron 22Kaolin 9Quartz 8Granite 6Asbestos 4Gold 4Magnesite 3Talc-Soapstone 2Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Olivine Deposit | Talc-Soapstone, Asbestos, Vermiculite | Chromite, Olivine, Talc, Vermiculite | Past Producer | 36.068, -82.005 |
| Pritchard Prospect | Feldspar, Mica | Feldspar | Past Producer | 36.070, -82.018 |
| Powdermill Mine | Feldspar, Mica | Feldspar | Past Producer | 36.056, -82.044 |
| Dugger Mine | Feldspar, Mica | Feldspar | Past Producer | 36.053, -82.061 |
| Puncheon Camp Mine | Mica, Feldspar | Feldspar | Past Producer | 36.075, -82.021 |
| Beech Bottom Feldspar Mine | Feldspar | Feldspar | Past Producer | 36.074, -82.007 |
| Brushy Creek Clay Mine | Kaolin, Mica | Kaolin | Producer | 35.949, -81.993 |
| Doe Hill Clay Mine | Kaolin | Kaolin | Past Producer | 35.976, -81.986 |
| Unnamed Clay Pits Hi-022 | Mica, Kaolin | Kaolin, Mica, Quartz | Producer | 35.947, -81.999 |
| Unnamed Clay Pits Hi-021 | Kaolin | Kaolin, Mica, Quartz | Producer | 35.954, -81.984 |
| Smoky No. 2 Magnetite Mine | Iron | Magnetite | Past Producer | 36.135, -81.965 |
| Lee Johnson Prospects | Iron | Magnetite | Past Producer | 36.108, -81.946 |
| Cooper Magnetite Mine | Iron | Magnetite | Past Producer | 36.146, -81.987 |
| Smoky No. 1 Magnetite Mine | Iron | Magnetite | Past Producer | 36.134, -81.965 |
| Ellers and Hardigraves Elk Park Magnetite Mines | Iron | Magnetite | Past Producer | 36.153, -81.990 |
| Firmstone Magnetite Prospect | Iron | Magnetite | Past Producer | 36.171, -78.582 |
| Black Mine | Mica | Mica | Past Producer | 36.060, -82.011 |
| Landers Mine | Mica | Mica | Past Producer | 36.045, -82.060 |
| Unnamed Mica Mine Hi-013 | Mica | Mica, Quartz | Producer | 35.996, -81.987 |
| Unnamed Mica Mine Hi-015 | Mica | Mica, Quartz | Producer | 35.987, -81.995 |
| Crate Carpenter Mica Mine | Mica | Muscovite | Past Producer | 35.995, -81.973 |
| Winters Mica Prospect | Mica | Muscovite | Past Producer | 36.004, -82.021 |
| Justus Mica Mine | Mica | Muscovite | Past Producer | 35.991, -82.000 |
| Honey Waits Weisman Mine | Mica | Muscovite | Past Producer | 35.998, -81.983 |
| Ingram-Benfield Mine | Mica | Muscovite | Past Producer | 35.992, -81.998 |
| Eli Rock Mica Mine | Mica | Muscovite | Past Producer | 36.005, -82.016 |
| Aldridge Mica Mine | Mica | Muscovite | Past Producer | 36.005, -82.024 |
| Barney Winters Mica Prospect | Mica | Muscovite | Occurrence | 36.003, -82.017 |
| Raven Cliff Mica Mine | Mica | Muscovite | Past Producer | 36.000, -81.995 |
| Senia Olivine Deposit | — | Olivine | Occurrence | 36.064, -82.048 |
| Harper Creek Uranium Prospect | — | Pitchblende, Uraninite | Occurrence | 36.006, -81.788 |
| Burelson Asbestos Mine | Asbestos | Talc | Past Producer | 36.062, -81.957 |
| Oaks Knob Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 36.065, -82.057 |
| Deep Gap Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 36.056, -82.054 |
| Charles Rock Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 36.057, -82.048 |
| Powdermill Roughs Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 36.058, -82.042 |
| Lincoln Rock Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 36.058, -82.040 |
| Shop Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 36.056, -82.048 |
| Peru Mica Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 36.063, -82.005 |
| Bobby Hughes Prospect | Mica | — | Past Producer | 36.060, -82.037 |
Nearby counties
Mitchell County · Yancey County · Watauga County · McDowell County · Burke 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