RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Johnson Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 4 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Garnet, Gold, Silver) and 9 of our card minerals overall. That ties with 1 other site(s), so we broke the tie by mine status (past producers first), then USGS record quality, then name. USGS lists it as past producer for Copper, Iron. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Garnet, Gold, Mica, Magnetite, Pyrite, Galena, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 37.693, -78.301. 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.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Was producing when the record was made.
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
48 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
29 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
28 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
20 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
14 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
11 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
10 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
8 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Gold 26Pyrite 12Chalcopyrite 8Silver 7Chalcocite 4Galena 4Sphalerite 4Bornite 3Magnetite 3Limonite 3Kyanite 2Goethite 2Commodities
Gold 41Copper 15Kyanite 10Iron 9Dimension 7Slate 6Silver 3Sulfur 3Zinc 2Mica 2Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson Mine | Copper, Iron | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Goethite, Gold, Magnetite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Silver, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 37.693, -78.301 |
| Margaret Mine | Iron | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Hematite, Limonite, Pyrite, Silver, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 37.696, -78.298 |
| McKenna Mine | Iron | Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Limonite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Silver, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 37.696, -78.298 |
| London and Virginia Mine | Gold | Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Silver, Sphalerite, Tennantite | Past Producer | 37.551, -78.464 |
| Lightfoot Mine | Gold, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Copper, Gold | Past Producer | 37.703, -78.375 |
| Ford Mine | Gold, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Gold | Past Producer | 37.694, -78.382 |
| Morrow Mine | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Gold, Silver | Past Producer | 37.496, -78.493 |
| North River Prospect | Silver, Copper | Chalcopyrite, Pyrite, Silver | Occurrence | 37.565, -78.571 |
| Bumpus Property Prospect | Iron, Manganese | Goethite, Magnetite, Pyrolusite | Occurrence | 37.700, -78.383 |
| Buckingham Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.550, -78.466 |
| Apperson Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.567, -78.454 |
| Flood Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.441, -78.601 |
| Morton Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.623, -78.407 |
| Duncan Prospect | Gold | Gold | Occurrence | 37.589, -78.438 |
| Philadelphia Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.550, -78.466 |
| Willis Creek Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.441, -78.620 |
| Copal Prospect | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.452, -78.564 |
| Anderson Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.465, -78.568 |
| Greeley Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.579, -78.389 |
| Turpin Creek Mine | Gold | Gold, Limonite, Magnetite, Pyrite | Past Producer | 37.569, -78.478 |
| Rough and Ready Mine | Gold | Gold, Pyrite | Past Producer | 37.617, -78.411 |
| Anaconda Mine | Gold | Gold, Pyrite | Past Producer | 37.614, -78.405 |
| Seay Mine | Gold | Gold, Pyrite | Past Producer | 37.492, -78.498 |
| Bondurant Mine | Gold | Gold, Pyrite | Past Producer | 37.453, -78.590 |
| Burnett Mine | Gold | Gold, Pyrite | Past Producer | 37.562, -78.459 |
| Gilliam Mine | Gold | Gold, Pyrite | Past Producer | 37.433, -78.610 |
| Williams Mine | Gold | Gold, Pyrite | Past Producer | 37.544, -78.474 |
| Lost Dutchman Mine | Gold, Silver | Gold, Silver | Occurrence | 37.602, -78.446 |
| Woods Mountain Kyn Occurrence | Kyanite | Kyanite | Occurrence | 37.386, -78.576 |
| Willis Mountain Mine | Kyanite | Kyanite, Quartzite | Producer | 37.474, -78.464 |
| Arvonia Quarry | Slate, Dimension | — | Past Producer | 37.694, -78.346 |
| Number 1 Slate Quarry | Slate, Dimension | — | Past Producer | 37.697, -78.347 |
| Arvonia Mill | Slate, Dimension | — | Past Producer | 37.720, -78.352 |
| Anaconda Mine | Copper | — | Past Producer | 37.610, -78.449 |
| Hudgins Prospect | Zinc, Copper | — | Occurrence | 37.680, -78.308 |
| Arvonia Quarry | Slate, Dimension | — | Past Producer | 37.716, -78.356 |
| Arvonia | Bloating Material | — | Producer | 37.693, -78.331 |
| Unnamed Mine | Iron | — | Past Producer | 37.543, -78.378 |
| Staplesmine | Gold | — | Past Producer | 37.607, -78.461 |
| Mann Prospect | Iron | — | Past Producer | 37.358, -78.549 |
Nearby counties
Cumberland County · Fluvanna County · Nelson County · Goochland County · Prince Edward County
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