RockWoofBest regions by county
Ranked by the number of USGS-recorded sites, not by access or quality.
- Cherokee County: 186 sites; most recorded: Hematite, Magnetite, Gold
- York County: 117 sites; most recorded: Gold, Pyrite, Chalcopyrite
- Spartanburg County: 76 sites; most recorded: Vermiculite, Ilmenite, Gold
- Laurens County: 62 sites; most recorded: Vermiculite, Monazite, Zircon
- Lancaster County: 42 sites; most recorded: Gold, Schist, Pyrite
Top minerals
- Gold: 111 sites
- Magnetite: 69 sites
- Pyrite: 57 sites
- Ilmenite: 53 sites
- Vermiculite: 53 sites
- Monazite: 49 sites
- Zircon: 46 sites
- Rutile: 38 sites
Mineral cards
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
298 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
201 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
114 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
107 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
101 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
83 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
49 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
38 sites
Tourmaline
Mohs 7–7.5. Long striated crystals, often black (schorl) or green and pink (elbaite). Mindat
19 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
19 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals most often recorded
Gold 111Magnetite 69Pyrite 57Ilmenite 53Vermiculite 53Monazite 49Zircon 46Rutile 38Hematite 38Chalcopyrite 24Limonite 24Barite 21Counties
| County | Sites |
|---|---|
| Cherokee County | 186 |
| York County | 117 |
| Spartanburg County | 76 |
| Laurens County | 62 |
| Lancaster County | 42 |
| Oconee County | 38 |
| Greenville County | 36 |
| Anderson County | 32 |
| Chesterfield County | 25 |
| Pickens County | 20 |
| McCormick County | 18 |
| Abbeville County | 17 |
| Aiken County | 17 |
| Lexington County | 14 |
| Kershaw County | 14 |
| Union County | 14 |
| Charleston County | 12 |
| Fairfield County | 9 |
| Richland County | 9 |
| Horry County | 8 |
| Sumter County | 8 |
| Edgefield County | 8 |
| Georgetown County | 6 |
| Saluda County | 6 |
| Dorchester County | 5 |
| Berkeley County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 4 |
| Newberry County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 4 |
| Greenwood County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 4 |
| Beaufort County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 4 |
| Colleton County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 3 |
| Chester County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Williamsburg County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Jasper County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 2 |
| Marlboro County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Darlington County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Orangeburg County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Calhoun County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Bamberg County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Florence County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
| Marion County (fewer than 5 sites, no page) | 1 |
Mineral guides
- Tourmaline in South Carolina (19)
- Quartz in South Carolina (107)
- Garnet in South Carolina (38)
- Gold in South Carolina (298)
- Mica in South Carolina (201)
- Feldspar in South Carolina (114)
- Magnetite in South Carolina (101)
- Pyrite in South Carolina (83)
- Copper in South Carolina (49)
- Silver in South Carolina (19)
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