RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Montpelier Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 2 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Garnet) and 5 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as past producer for Feldspar. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Garnet, Mica, Feldspar, Pyrite. Approx. location 37.772, -77.712. 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.
Status not recorded.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
14 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
5 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
1 site
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
1 site
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Albite 1Illite 1Ilmenite 1Kaolinite 1Microcline 1Rutile 1Zircon 1Commodities
Mica 13Feldspar 3Titanium 2Granite 1Metal 1Mineral Pigments 1Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montpelier Mine | Feldspar | Albite, Illite, Ilmenite, Kaolinite, Microcline, Rutile, Zircon | Past Producer | 37.772, -77.712 |
| Verdon Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 37.880, -77.501 |
| Saunders No. 3 Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 37.888, -77.576 |
| Monteplier | Feldspar | — | Unknown | 37.768, -77.709 |
| Tyler Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.899, -77.704 |
| Nolan Prospects | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.876, -77.585 |
| Stanley Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.804, -77.621 |
| Rose Hill Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 37.812, -77.597 |
| Saunders No. 4 Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 37.893, -77.576 |
| Harris Prospect | Feldspar | — | Prospect | 37.863, -77.689 |
| Hall Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.903, -77.703 |
| Saunders No. 2 Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 37.896, -77.573 |
| Range Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.621, -77.252 |
| Poteat No. 1 Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 37.877, -77.555 |
| Saunders No. 1 Mine | Mica | — | Past Producer | 37.878, -77.574 |
| Southworth Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.865, -77.684 |
| Saunders No. 5 Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.895, -77.573 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 44 fossil collection records in Hanover County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Caroline County · Louisa County · Henrico 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