RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Morefield Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 5 gem or collectible minerals (Beryl, Tourmaline, Quartz, Garnet, Fluorite) and 10 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as past producer for Feldspar, Mica. Minerals mentioned: Beryl, Tourmaline, Quartz, Garnet, Mica, Feldspar, Pyrite, Galena, Fluorite, Copper. Approx. location 37.361, -77.914. 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?
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
Status not recorded.
Was producing when the record was made.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
92 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
16 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
6 sites
Beryl
Mohs 7.5–8. Six-sided crystals; aquamarine and emerald are beryl. Mindat
5 sites
Tourmaline
Mohs 7–7.5. Long striated crystals, often black (schorl) or green and pink (elbaite). Mindat
3 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
3 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
3 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
3 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Muscovite 4Beryl 3Chalcopyrite 2Galena 2Microlite 2Pyrite 2Marcasite 1Pyrochlore 1Kaolin 1Plagioclase 1Albite 1Cassiterite 1Commodities
Mica 85Beryllium 8Feldspar 6Tantalum 5Niobium (Columbium) 4Sulfur-Pyrite 2Copper 2Silica 1Gemstone 1Arsenic 1Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morefield Mine | Feldspar, Mica | Albite, Beryl, Cassiterite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Ilmenite, Manganotantalite, Microlite, Muscovite, Pyrite, Pyrolusite, Rutile, Topaz | Past Producer | 37.361, -77.914 |
| Champion Mine | Mica | Beryl, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Marcasite, Microlite, Muscovite, Pyrite, Pyrochlore | Past Producer | 37.382, -77.966 |
| Pinchbeck No. 1 Mine | Mica | Beryl, Kaolin, Muscovite, Plagioclase | Past Producer | 37.391, -77.963 |
| Berry Mine | Mica | Muscovite | Past Producer | 37.355, -77.970 |
| Prospect No. 38 | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.368, -77.964 |
| Pinchbeck No. 2 Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.389, -77.968 |
| Jefferson No. 1 Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 37.378, -77.960 |
| Pine Shaft Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 37.385, -77.966 |
| Lambert Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.386, -78.159 |
| Anderson Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.259, -77.934 |
| Harrison Benable Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.277, -77.959 |
| Waverly Vaughan Prospect | Beryllium | — | Prospect | 37.339, -77.919 |
| Jefferson No. 19 Prospect | Silica | — | Prospect | 37.380, -77.962 |
| John Patterson Mine | Mica, Feldspar | — | Past Producer | 37.370, -77.964 |
| O'Neil Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.341, -77.918 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.375, -77.964 |
| Eggleston Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.346, -78.109 |
| Old Lee Goodman Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.427, -78.053 |
| Mccraw No. 1 Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 37.376, -77.957 |
| Mccraw No. 2 Mine | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.377, -77.857 |
| Nettie Taylor Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 37.384, -77.967 |
| Keystone Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 37.342, -78.062 |
| Tinsley Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.462, -77.996 |
| Jefferson No. 3 Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 37.379, -77.963 |
| Pinchbeck No. 2 Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 37.389, -77.959 |
| Ligon No. 1 Mine | Mica, Feldspar | — | Past Producer | 37.464, -77.933 |
| Amelia Courthouse | Tantalum | — | Unknown | 37.342, -77.979 |
| Pinchbeck No. 4 Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.388, -77.967 |
| Pinchbeck Mine No. 3 | Mica | — | Past Producer | 37.389, -77.965 |
| Buddy Jones Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.346, -78.111 |
| Mccraw No. 3 Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 37.377, -77.959 |
| Marshall Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 37.360, -77.965 |
| Mays Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 37.275, -77.626 |
| Jefferson No. 27 Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.378, -77.966 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.344, -78.064 |
| Golden Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.297, -77.976 |
| P A Patterson Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.374, -77.966 |
| Berry No. 2 Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 37.353, -77.958 |
| International Nos. 1 & 2 Mines | Mica | — | Past Producer | 37.372, -77.966 |
| D E Kraft Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.294, -77.965 |
Nearby counties
Powhatan County · Nottoway County · Cumberland County · Chesterfield County · Richmond city
Virginia mineral guides
- Beryl in Virginia
- Tourmaline in Virginia
- Quartz in Virginia
- Garnet in Virginia
- Gold in Virginia
- Mica in Virginia
Back to all Virginia 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