RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Vein Mountain Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 2 gem or collectible minerals (Gold, Silver) and 4 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as producer for Gold. Minerals mentioned: Gold, Galena, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 35.550, -81.957. 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?
Was producing when the record was made.
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 not recorded.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
13 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
4 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
4 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
3 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
2 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
2 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
2 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Sphalerite 3Gold 3Chalcopyrite 2Cuprite 2Pyrite 2Galena 2Psilomelane 1Pyrolusite 1Wad 1Commodities
Gold 13REE 11Zinc 3Copper 3Mica 3Manganese 2Feldspar 2Quartz 2Lead 1Flagstone 1Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Cove Prospect | Zinc, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Cuprite, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 35.836, -81.990 |
| Unnamed Zinc Prospect | Zinc | Chalcopyrite, Cuprite, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 35.922, -81.938 |
| Unnamed Galena Occurrence Hi-026 | Lead | Galena | Occurrence | 35.930, -81.941 |
| Vein Mountain Mine | Gold | Galena, Gold, Sphalerite | Producer | 35.550, -81.957 |
| Huntsville Branch Placer | Gold, REE | Gold | Past Producer | 35.593, -81.949 |
| Hoppers Creek Placer | Gold, REE | Gold | Producer | 35.612, -81.851 |
| Unnamed Manganese Prospect Hi-027 | Manganese | Psilomelane, Pyrolusite, Wad | Past Producer | 35.829, -81.993 |
| High Shoals and South Muddy Creeks Gold Placer Belt | Gold, REE | — | Producer | 35.598, -81.898 |
| Cane Creek Placer | Gold, REE | — | Producer | 35.558, -81.854 |
| South Muddy Creek Headwater Placer | Gold, REE | — | Producer | 35.548, -81.923 |
| Katy Creek Placer | Gold, REE | — | Producer | 35.611, -81.887 |
| Second Broad River Placer | Gold, REE | — | Producer | 35.539, -81.964 |
| Waltons-Neighbors and Caleb Branch Placers | Gold, REE | — | Producer | 35.665, -81.904 |
| Alexander Branch Placer | Gold, REE | — | Producer | 35.629, -81.892 |
| Unnamed Mica Mine Hi-030 | Mica | — | Producer | 35.860, -81.992 |
| Marion Bullion Placer | Gold | — | Past Producer | 35.565, -81.922 |
| Armstrong Creek | — | — | Occurrence | 35.800, -82.033 |
| North Cove | Manganese | — | Past Producer | 35.825, -82.000 |
| Unnamed Mica Mine Hi-029 | Mica | — | Producer | 35.865, -81.987 |
| Long Branch Placer | Gold, REE | — | Producer | 35.638, -81.886 |
| South Muddy Creek Lower Course Placer | Gold, REE | — | Producer | 35.657, -81.855 |
| Bowman Quarry | Flagstone | — | Past Producer | 35.897, -81.939 |
| Gneiss Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.953, -81.875 |
| Biddix Prospect | Copper | — | Prospect | 35.873, -82.017 |
| North Cove Manganese Prospect | — | — | Past Producer | 35.819, -82.005 |
| Gruen No. 1 Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 35.543, -81.938 |
| South Muddy Creek Prospect | Titanium | — | Unknown | 35.668, -81.857 |
| Zinc Prospect | Zinc | — | Prospect | 35.922, -81.940 |
| Clinchfield Lime Quarry | Dolomite | — | Past Producer | 35.886, -81.940 |
Nearby counties
Burke County · Rutherford County · Yancey County · Mitchell County · Avery 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