RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
No.1 Workings Irish Creek
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 4 gem or collectible minerals (Beryl, Tourmaline, Quartz, Fluorite) and 7 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. Minerals mentioned: Beryl, Tourmaline, Quartz, Mica, Pyrite, Fluorite, Scheelite. Approx. location 37.849, -79.164. 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.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Status not recorded.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
4 sites
Beryl
Mohs 7.5–8. Six-sided crystals; aquamarine and emerald are beryl. Mindat
3 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
3 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
3 sites
Fluorite
Mohs 4. Cubes in purple, green or yellow; many glow under UV. Mindat
3 sites
Scheelite
Mohs 4.5–5. Tungsten mineral that glows blue-white under shortwave UV. Mindat
3 sites
Tourmaline
Mohs 7–7.5. Long striated crystals, often black (schorl) or green and pink (elbaite). Mindat
2 sites
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Barite 4Hematite 3Cassiterite 2Beryl 1Scheelite 1Wolframite 1Gold 1Pyrite 1Ilmenite 1Rutile 1Limonite 1Commodities
Iron 10Barium-Barite 6Tin 2Zinc 2Manganese 2Gold 1Lead 1Thorium 1Quartz 1Silica 1Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Marys Creek Barite Ppt. | — | Barite | Occurrence | 37.869, -79.201 |
| Becktel Prospect | Barium-Barite | Barite | Occurrence | 37.725, -79.479 |
| Johnson Prospect | Barium-Barite | Barite | Occurrence | 37.620, -79.591 |
| Shorter Prospect | Barium-Barite | Barite | Occurrence | 37.675, -79.639 |
| Irish Creek Mine | Tin | Beryl, Cassiterite, Scheelite, Wolframite | Past Producer | 37.850, -79.163 |
| Yankee Horseridge Gold Prospect | Tin, Gold, Lead, Zinc, Thorium | Cassiterite, Gold, Pyrite | Occurrence | 37.813, -79.193 |
| Horse Mt. Mine | Iron | Hematite | Past Producer | 37.769, -79.903 |
| Iron Gate Mine | Iron | Hematite | Past Producer | 37.815, -79.798 |
| Old Dixie Mine | Iron, Manganese | Hematite, Limonite | Past Producer | 37.901, -79.171 |
| Buena Vista Titanium Placer | — | Ilmenite, Rutile | Occurrence | 37.704, -79.336 |
| Rockbridge Alum Springs Mine | Iron | — | Occurrence | 37.817, -79.445 |
| Emil Number 1 Quarry | Quartz | — | Past Producer | 37.596, -79.456 |
| Mary Creek Mine | Manganese | — | Past Producer | 37.883, -79.217 |
| Clifton Forge | Iron | — | Occurrence | 37.833, -79.766 |
| Kelly Bank Mine | — | — | Past Producer | 37.907, -79.180 |
| Johnson Prospect | Barium-Barite | — | Prospect | 37.620, -79.596 |
| No.1 Workings Irish Creek | — | — | Past Producer | 37.849, -79.164 |
| Buena Vista Prospect | — | — | Prospect | 37.741, -79.344 |
| Hogpen Hollow Prospect | — | — | Prospect | 37.896, -79.178 |
| Mary Creek Mine | — | — | Unknown | 37.883, -79.218 |
| No.2 Workings | — | — | Past Producer | 37.849, -79.165 |
| Shorter Prospect | Barium-Barite | — | Prospect | 37.677, -79.639 |
| J. Tilfort Short Property | Zinc | — | Prospect | 37.681, -79.559 |
| Becktel Prospect | Barium-Barite | — | Occurrence | 37.735, -79.474 |
| Glenwood Estate | — | — | Past Producer | 37.613, -79.471 |
| James C Ballagh Property Mine | Iron | — | Past Producer | 37.824, -79.292 |
| J D Eakin Property Mine | Iron | — | Past Producer | 37.868, -79.274 |
| Unnamed Prospect | Iron | — | Prospect | 37.598, -79.510 |
| Old Dixie Mine | Iron | — | Past Producer | 37.901, -79.171 |
| W T Crist Farm Mine | Iron | — | Past Producer | 37.888, -79.271 |
| Arnolds Valley Silica Mine | Silica | — | Past Producer | 37.569, -79.468 |
| Midvale Mine | — | — | Past Producer | 37.829, -79.275 |
| Church Mountain Mine | — | — | Past Producer | 38.408, -78.625 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 4 fossil collection records in Rockbridge County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Augusta County · Nelson County · Amherst County · Bath County · James City 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