RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Randolph Shaft
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 3 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Gold, Silver) and 6 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as producer for Silver, Gold, Copper. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Gold, Pyrite, Galena, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 35.513, -80.345. 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.
Was producing when the record was made.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
25 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
14 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
10 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
8 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
4 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
4 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Pyrite 10Chalcopyrite 9Gold 6Galena 4Sphalerite 4Chalcocite 3Bornite 1Covellite 1Commodities
Granite 30Gold 22Copper 6Lead 3Zinc 3Silver 2Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union Copper Mine | Copper, Gold | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Producer | 35.504, -80.352 |
| Barnhardt Shaft | Gold | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Gold, Pyrite | Producer | 35.511, -80.345 |
| Miller Shaft | Gold | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Pyrite | Producer | 35.512, -80.344 |
| Bat Shaft | Gold | Chalcocite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Producer | 35.509, -80.350 |
| Southern Copper Company Mine | Gold, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Producer | 35.511, -80.349 |
| Randolph Shaft | Silver, Gold, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Producer | 35.513, -80.345 |
| Honeycutt Shaft | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Gold, Pyrite | Producer | 35.506, -80.351 |
| Gold Hill Mines | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Gold, Pyrite | Occurrence | 35.513, -80.345 |
| Gold Knob Mine | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Pyrite | Producer | 35.587, -80.368 |
| Dutch Creek Mine | Gold, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Pyrite | Producer | 35.591, -80.344 |
| Beaver Gold Mine | Gold | Gold | Producer | 35.527, -80.549 |
| Collins Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.633, -80.407 |
| Shuping Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.603, -80.461 |
| Balfour Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.601, -80.443 |
| Herman Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.604, -80.443 |
| Pink Salisbury Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.643, -80.409 |
| Silvertone Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.577, -80.475 |
| Unnamed Granite Quarry Bj-011 | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.608, -80.443 |
| Unnamed Granite Quarries Bj-022 | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.635, -80.407 |
| Unnamed Granite Quarries Bj-021 | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.655, -80.402 |
| Unnamed Granite Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.537, -80.479 |
| Unnamed Granite Quarries Bj-016 | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.564, -80.471 |
| Unnamed Granite Quarries Bj-014 | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.577, -80.467 |
| Unnamed Granite Quarries | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.563, -80.494 |
| Unnamed Granite Quarry Bj-013 | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.594, -80.462 |
| Unnamed Rock Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.575, -80.683 |
| Crystal Pink Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.639, -80.407 |
| Unnamed Granite Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.551, -80.500 |
| Unnamed Granite Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.620, -80.435 |
| Unnamed Granite Quarries Bj-023 | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.626, -80.424 |
| Unnamed Granite Quarries Bj-018 | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.544, -80.489 |
| Unnamed Granite Quarries Bj-017 | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.543, -80.491 |
| Unnamed Granite Quarries Bj-012 | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.601, -80.443 |
| Moose Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 35.518, -80.585 |
| Unnamed Shaft | Gold | — | Prospect | 35.503, -80.349 |
| Randolph Shaft | Gold | — | Past Producer | 35.514, -80.344 |
| Barnhardt Shaft | Gold | — | Past Producer | 35.511, -80.342 |
| Miller Shaft | Gold | — | Past Producer | 35.512, -80.342 |
| Gold Hill Mine | — | — | Past Producer | 35.517, -80.339 |
| Old Field Diggings | Gold | — | Past Producer | 35.507, -80.348 |
Nearby counties
Cabarrus County · Davidson County · Stanly County · Davie County · Montgomery 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