RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Baker Mountain Mine
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 2 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Garnet) and 4 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as producer for Kyanite. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Garnet, Magnetite, Pyrite. Approx. location 37.204, -78.651. 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.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Was producing when the record was made.
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
7 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
6 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
2 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
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
Kyanite 1Quartzite 1Commodities
Feldspar 7Kyanite 6Mica 2Tantalum 1Niobium (Columbium) 1Sand and Gravel 1Construction 1Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker Mountain Mine | Kyanite | Kyanite, Quartzite | Producer | 37.204, -78.651 |
| Spring Creek Occurrence | Tantalum, Niobium (Columbium) | — | Occurrence | 37.217, -78.550 |
| Covington Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.244, -78.581 |
| Baker Mountain Mine | Kyanite | — | Producer | 37.161, -78.568 |
| Leigh Mtn Deposit | Kyanite | — | Occurrence | 37.204, -78.359 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Feldspar | — | Prospect | 37.260, -78.478 |
| Unnamed Mine | Kyanite | — | Past Producer | 37.202, -78.614 |
| Wheeler Prospect | Feldspar | — | Prospect | 37.212, -78.578 |
| Wheeler Prospect | Feldspar | — | Prospect | 37.209, -78.581 |
| Cromer Prospect | Feldspar | — | Prospect | 37.209, -78.569 |
| Cromer Prospect | Mica | — | Prospect | 37.212, -78.567 |
| Cromer Prospect | Feldspar | — | Prospect | 37.210, -78.568 |
| Unnamed Mine | Feldspar | — | Past Producer | 37.280, -78.560 |
| S Prince Edward Co Deposit | Kyanite | — | Occurrence | 37.125, -78.439 |
| Falling Creek Deposit | Kyanite | — | Occurrence | 37.285, -78.549 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Feldspar | — | Prospect | 37.262, -78.583 |
Nearby counties
Charlotte County · Buckingham County · Nottoway County · Appomattox County · Lunenburg 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