RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Phillips Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 3 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Gold, Silver) 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 Copper. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Gold, Pyrite, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 35.547, -79.434. 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.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
20 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
8 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
4 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
3 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. 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
Chalcocite 5Malachite 5Bornite 4Chalcopyrite 4Pyrite 3Pyrophyllite 1Sericite 1Goethite 1Hematite 1Limonite 1Commodities
Copper 18Talc-Soapstone 3Granite 3Iron 2Mica 1Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sloan Mine | Copper | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Malachite | Occurrence | 35.613, -79.185 |
| Phillips Mine | Copper | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Malachite, Pyrite | Past Producer | 35.547, -79.434 |
| Bear Creek Mine | Copper | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Malachite, Pyrite | Past Producer | 35.530, -79.487 |
| Barringer Phillips Prospect | Copper | Bornite, Chalcocite, Malachite | Occurrence | 35.525, -79.447 |
| Graham Prospect | Copper | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Pyrite | Occurrence | 35.695, -79.284 |
| Ore Hill Mine | Iron | Goethite, Hematite, Limonite | Past Producer | 35.660, -79.422 |
| Gilmore-Hart Prospect | Copper | Malachite | Occurrence | 35.686, -79.364 |
| Hinshaw Prospect | Talc-Soapstone | Pyrophyllite | Occurrence | 35.838, -79.414 |
| Ore Hill Prospect | Talc-Soapstone | Sericite | Occurrence | 35.662, -79.430 |
| W. H. Purvis Prospect | Copper | — | Occurrence | 35.517, -79.544 |
| Cassana Kid Prospect | Copper | — | Occurrence | 35.519, -79.553 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Copper | — | Occurrence | 35.875, -79.468 |
| Siler City Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.668, -79.379 |
| New Hope Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.800, -79.034 |
| Goldston Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.575, -79.318 |
| W.H. Purvis Mine | Copper | — | Prospect | 35.519, -78.544 |
| Ore Hill Mine | Iron | — | Past Producer | 35.664, -79.432 |
| Hugh Phillips Prospect | Copper | — | Prospect | 35.545, -79.457 |
| Barringer Phillips Prospect | Copper | — | Prospect | 35.524, -79.448 |
| Hinshaw Prospect | Talc-Soapstone | — | Prospect | 35.830, -79.395 |
| Gilmore-Hart Mine | Copper | — | Past Producer | 35.665, -79.378 |
| Cassana Kidd Prospect | Copper | — | Prospect | 35.519, -79.549 |
| Phillips Mine | — | — | Past Producer | 35.547, -79.443 |
| Sloan Mine | Copper | — | Past Producer | 35.613, -79.187 |
| Roads Prospect | Copper | — | Prospect | 35.567, -79.461 |
| Bear Creek Mine | — | — | Prospect | 35.531, -79.486 |
| Graham Prospect | Copper | — | Prospect | 35.698, -79.280 |
| Robert Phillips Prospect | Copper | — | Prospect | 35.547, -79.435 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 14 fossil collection records in Chatham County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Moore County · Lee County · Alamance County · Randolph County · Orange 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