RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Moss Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 4 gem or collectible minerals (Tourmaline, Quartz, Garnet, Gold) and 8 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as past producer for Gold. Minerals mentioned: Tourmaline, Quartz, Garnet, Gold, Feldspar, Pyrite, Galena, Copper. Approx. location 37.848, -78.085. 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.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Was producing when the record was made.
Status not recorded.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
61 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
29 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
16 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
8 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
4 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
4 sites
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
2 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
2 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Gold 35Pyrite 5Chalcopyrite 3Covellite 1Galena 1Pyromorphite 1Sphalerite 1Vanadinite 1Bornite 1Sylvanite 1Tetradymite 1Ilmenite 1Commodities
Gold 61Mica 14Granite 4Iron 3Titanium 2Metal 1Graphite 1Flagstone 1Talc-Soapstone 1Asbestos 1Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waller Mine | Gold | Bornite, Chalcopyrite, Gold | Past Producer | 37.858, -78.055 |
| Moss Mine | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Covellite, Galena, Gold, Pyrite, Pyromorphite, Sphalerite, Vanadinite | Past Producer | 37.848, -78.085 |
| Young American Mine | Gold | Chalcopyrite, Gold, Sylvanite, Tetradymite | Past Producer | 37.823, -78.089 |
| Prospect C Goochland Co. | Gold | Gold | Occurrence | 37.844, -78.096 |
| Massachusetts Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.850, -78.100 |
| Eades Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.811, -78.090 |
| Benton Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.866, -78.059 |
| Johnson, David, Prospect | Gold | Gold | Occurrence | 37.823, -78.086 |
| Ruth Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.779, -78.127 |
| Pryor Tract Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.843, -78.076 |
| Prospect B Goochland Co. | Gold | Gold | Occurrence | 37.851, -78.087 |
| Prospect A Goochland Co. | Gold | Gold | Occurrence | 37.853, -78.083 |
| Payne Tract Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.856, -78.072 |
| Omohundro Prospect | Gold | Gold | Occurrence | 37.826, -78.088 |
| Toler Property Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.812, -78.093 |
| Laury Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.811, -78.090 |
| Marks, Lancelot, Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.811, -78.090 |
| Grannison Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.816, -78.114 |
| Atmore Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.807, -78.112 |
| Belzoro Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.813, -78.090 |
| Big Bird Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.811, -78.090 |
| Busby Mine | Gold | Gold | Producer | 37.851, -78.079 |
| Kent Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.806, -78.117 |
| Chatlier Prospect | Gold | Gold | Occurrence | 37.839, -78.103 |
| Shannon Hill Property Mine | Gold | Gold | Producer | 37.873, -78.043 |
| Dillard Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.778, -78.127 |
| Duke Property Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.811, -78.096 |
| Fisher Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.835, -78.094 |
| Goochland Prospect | Gold | Gold | Occurrence | 37.817, -78.050 |
| Fleming Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.865, -78.056 |
| Collins Mine | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 37.815, -78.078 |
| Bowles Mine Tellurium Vein Sys. | Gold | Gold, Pyrite | Past Producer | 37.847, -78.097 |
| Bertha and Edith Mine | Gold | Gold, Pyrite | Past Producer | 37.786, -78.125 |
| Morgan Mine | Gold | Gold, Pyrite | Past Producer | 37.818, -78.092 |
| Thompson, John, Mine | Gold | Gold, Pyrite | Past Producer | 37.819, -78.087 |
| Nuckols Prospect | Titanium, Metal | Ilmenite, Rutile | Occurrence | 37.681, -77.692 |
| Boscobel Granite Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 37.610, -77.696 |
| Royal Stone Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 37.673, -77.672 |
| Richmond Curshed Stone Co. Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 37.678, -77.684 |
| Rockville Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 37.676, -77.672 |
Nearby counties
Fluvanna County · Cumberland County · Louisa County · Powhatan County · Buckingham 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