Cooper's Gem Mine

Agates

Banded chalcedony prized for their colors and patterns. Lake Superior agates, Fairburn agates, and Montana moss agates are especially famous.

Also found at:

• Rockhound State Park
• Black Rock Desert
• Thunder Egg Capital (Richardson's Ranch)

Amazonite

Green to blue-green microcline feldspar. Colorado's Pike's Peak region and Virginia's Morefield Mine produce quality amazonite specimens.

Also found at:

• Morefield Mine (closed)
• Crystal Peak
• Lake George Area

Amethyst

Purple quartz crystals found in geodes and pegmatites. Notable sources include Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Maine.

Also found at:

• Crater of Diamonds State Park
• Gem Mountain
• Hogg Mine

Apatite

Phosphate mineral found in pegmatites and sedimentary rocks. Alabama's pegmatite deposits contain apatite crystals in association with other minerals.

Also found at:

• M & G Mine
• Millsite Tin Mine
• Moosup River

Aquamarine

Blue-green beryl gemstone. Colorado's Mt. Antero and Maine's pegmatite mines produce world-class aquamarine crystals highly sought after by collectors.

Also found at:

• Emerald Hollow Mine
• Gem Mountain
• Mt. Antero

Aragonite

Also found at:

• Fort Drum Crystal Mine (Ruck's Pit)

Aventurine

Also found at:

• Luray Caverns - Stonyman Mining Co. Gem Sluice
• Shenandoah Caverns Gemstone Sluice

Calcite

Common but versatile carbonate mineral that forms in many crystal habits. Found in geodes, cave deposits, and veins throughout the US.

Also found at:

• Warsaw Area Geodes
• Hall's Gap
• Rose Hill Mine

Chalcopyrite

Also found at:

• Ringwood Mines / Ringwood State Park

Chrysocolla

Also found at:

• No other locations listed yet

Citrine

Also found at:

• Spruceberry Farm - Otto's Mining Sluice
• Elijah Mountain Gem Mine and Goat Farm
• Alabama Gold Camp

Emeralds

North Carolina's Hiddenite region is the only place in North America where emeralds are found naturally.

Also found at:

• Emerald Hollow Mine
• Hiddenite Gem Mines
• Appalachian Gem and Gold Mine

Fluorite

Colorful halide mineral that often forms cubic crystals. The Illinois-Kentucky fluorite district was once the world's leading producer. Also found in New York and Tennessee.

Also found at:

• Hall's Gap
• Rose Hill Mine
• Tennessee Fluorite Beds

Fuchsite

Also found at:

• No other locations listed yet

Garnets

Deep red almandine garnets are found in many states. Idaho's star garnets are among the rarest in the world.

Also found at:

• Crater of Diamonds State Park
• Emerald Hollow Mine
• Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine

Geodes

Hollow rocks lined with crystals. Iowa's Keokuk region is the Geode Capital of the World.

Also found at:

• Rockhound State Park
• Keokuk Geode Beds
• Geode State Park

Hematite

Iron oxide mineral responsible for red coloration in rocks. Michigan's Upper Peninsula and New York's Adirondack region contain significant hematite deposits.

Also found at:

• Benson Mines
• Lake Martin Rockhounding Area
• Champion Mine & Jasper Hill

Jasper

Opaque, fine-grained chalcedony prized for its rich earthy colors and patterns. Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alabama produce exceptional jasper varieties.

Also found at:

• Rockhound State Park
• Black Rock Desert
• Thunder Egg Capital (Richardson's Ranch)

Kyanite

Blue aluminum silicate mineral with distinctive blade-shaped crystals. Virginia's Willis Mountain and Georgia's Graves Mountain are notable US sources.

Also found at:

• Graves Mountain
• Golden Stake Mine
• Virginia Unakite & Amazonite

Lepidolite

Also found at:

• No other locations listed yet

Lodestone

Also found at:

• No other locations listed yet

Malachite

Also found at:

• Reed Gold Mine

Mica

Also found at:

• Ruggles Mine
• Hoopes Reservoir
• Coursey Pond

Moonstone

Feldspar mineral with a distinctive adularescent glow. North Carolina's gem mines are known sources for moonstone, often found alongside other pegmatite gems.

Also found at:

• Gem Mountain
• Mason Mountain Rhodolite & Ruby Mine
• Pigeon Forge Gem Mine

Pyrite

Iron sulfide known as Fool's Gold for its metallic luster. Found in many US states, often in association with other minerals. Popular with beginner collectors.

Also found at:

• Pennsylvania Quartz & Amethyst
• Pennsylvania Pyrite Beds
• Cornwall Iron Mine Dumps

Quartz Crystals

Clear, smoky, and rose quartz crystals are among the most common and rewarding rockhounding finds. Arkansas produces world-class quartz.

Also found at:

• Crater of Diamonds State Park
• Crystal Grove Diamond Mine
• Herkimer Diamond Mines

Rose Quartz

Also found at:

• No other locations listed yet

Ruby

Red corundum, one of the world's most precious gemstones. North Carolina's Cowee Valley and Franklin area are known US sources for rubies found in public mining operations.

Also found at:

• Gem Mountain
• Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine
• Appalachian Gem and Gold Mine

Sapphires

Montana is the only significant sapphire source in the US. Yogo Gulch and Missouri River sapphires are world-renowned.

Also found at:

• Cherokee Ruby & Sapphire Mine
• Hiddenite Gem Mines
• Gem Mountain Sapphire Mine

Sodalite

Also found at:

• No other locations listed yet

Tiger Eye

Also found at:

• No other locations listed yet

Tourmaline

Colorful gemstone found in pegmatites. Tourmaline occurs in every color of the rainbow. Maine, California, and North Carolina are top US sources for gem-quality specimens.

Also found at:

• Emerald Hollow Mine
• Mt. Mica
• Oceanview Mine

Unakite

Altered granite composed of pink feldspar, green epidote, and quartz. Found in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Popular as a tumbling stone.

Also found at:

• South Carolina Unakite Beds
• Virginia Unakite & Amazonite

Tennessee Agate Beds

Parsons, Tennessee · Public Land

Western Tennessee gravel pits and creek beds for agate and chert specimens.

Tennessee Fluorite Beds

Carthage, Tennessee · Public Land

Middle Tennessee mining district dumps for fluorite, calcite, and galena specimens. Historic Mississippi Valley-type deposits.

Cumberland Plateau Fossils

Sewanee, Tennessee · Public Land

Road cuts on the Cumberland Plateau for Mississippian fossils including crinoids, blastoids, and brachiopods.

Cosby Creek Gold Panning

Cosby, Tennessee · USFS Land

Great Smoky Mountains National Forest creeks for recreational gold panning. The area was historically mined for gold in the 1800s.

Pigeon Forge Gem Mine

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee · Fee Dig

Family-owned gem mining attraction in the heart of the Smoky Mountains. Walk-ins welcome daily. Offers immersive sluicing experience with authentic ge...

Little River Gem Mine (Prospector's Rock Shop)

Sevierville, Tennessee · Fee Dig

Unique gem mining attraction in Sevierville with an old mining town atmosphere and whimsical features including pirate and animal statues. Features bo...