RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Zinc Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 2 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Fluorite) and 5 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as producer for Zinc. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Pyrite, Galena, Fluorite, Copper. Approx. location 36.110, -83.496. 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.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Status not recorded.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
12 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
12 sites
Fluorite
Mohs 4. Cubes in purple, green or yellow; many glow under UV. Mindat
12 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
9 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
Sphalerite 8Galena 3Dolomite 2Limonite 1Chalcopyrite 1Fluorite 1Pyrite 1Hematite 1Commodities
Zinc 24Stone 8Crushed/Broken 7Iron 2Lead 1Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zinc Mine | Zinc | Chalcopyrite, Fluorite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Producer | 36.110, -83.496 |
| Jefferson City Zinc Mine | Zinc | Dolomite, Galena, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 36.100, -83.479 |
| Davis - Bible Zinc Mine | Zinc | Dolomite, Sphalerite | Producer | 36.109, -83.495 |
| New Market Zinc Mine | Zinc | Galena, Hematite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 36.082, -83.565 |
| Unnamed Iron Prospect | — | Limonite | Occurrence | 36.047, -83.415 |
| Young Zinc Mine | Zinc | Sphalerite | Producer | 36.076, -83.613 |
| Coy Zinc Mine | Zinc | Sphalerite | Producer | 36.122, -83.477 |
| Beaver Creek Zinc Mine | Zinc | Sphalerite | Past Producer | 36.074, -83.642 |
| Lost Creek Zinc Mine | Zinc | Sphalerite | Past Producer | 36.078, -83.504 |
| Jefferson City Concentrator | Zinc | — | Past Producer | 36.100, -83.476 |
| C.T.Caldwell Prospect | Zinc | — | Past Producer | 36.104, -83.515 |
| Asarco New Market Mine | Zinc | — | Producer | 36.077, -83.565 |
| Coy | Zinc | — | Producer | 36.122, -83.489 |
| Jarnigan | — | — | Past Producer | 36.132, -83.479 |
| Gattiker, Carr, and Emert Prospects | Zinc | — | Prospect | 36.117, -83.467 |
| Mossy Creek | — | — | Past Producer | 36.125, -83.485 |
| Young Mill | Zinc | — | Unknown | 36.076, -83.614 |
| Lost Creek | Zinc | — | Past Producer | 36.079, -83.497 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Iron | — | Prospect | 36.045, -83.417 |
| Universal Exploration Co. Mines | Zinc | — | Past Producer | 36.100, -83.479 |
| Athletic | — | — | Past Producer | 36.121, -83.485 |
| East Tennessee | — | — | Past Producer | 36.084, -83.525 |
| Unnamed Iron Prospect | Iron | — | Occurrence | 36.047, -83.415 |
| Felknor | — | — | Past Producer | 36.067, -83.295 |
| Jefferson City Mine | Zinc | — | Past Producer | 36.100, -83.479 |
| Grasselli | — | — | Past Producer | 36.098, -83.538 |
| Currens Prospect | — | — | Prospect | 36.104, -83.502 |
| Jefferson City Open Cut Mine | Zinc | — | Producer | 36.112, -83.496 |
| Young, Immel, Coy, New Market | Zinc | — | Producer | 36.076, -83.613 |
| North Friends Station | — | — | Past Producer | 36.097, -83.593 |
| Chucky Pike | Zinc | — | Prospect | 36.124, -83.453 |
| Zinc Mine | Zinc | — | Past Producer | 36.110, -83.496 |
| American Zinc Co. Prospects | Zinc | — | Occurrence | 36.146, -83.460 |
| Asarco New Market Concentrator | Zinc | — | Unknown | 36.096, -83.542 |
| Beaver Creek | Zinc | — | Past Producer | 36.076, -83.638 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 7 fossil collection records in Jefferson County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Hamblen County · Sevier County · Grainger County · Knox County · Claiborne County
Tennessee mineral guides
- Quartz in Tennessee
- Gold in Tennessee
- Mica in Tennessee
- Magnetite in Tennessee
- Pyrite in Tennessee
- Galena in Tennessee
Back to all Tennessee 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