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Whether you visit the towering Appalachian Mountains or the shores of Chesapeake Bay, you’ll find that there are many collectible rocks and minerals scattered throughout Virginia. Let’s go over some of the most common rocks, minerals, and gems that collectors seek out in the Old Dominion state.
In Virginia, rockhounds often collect these common rocks and minerals:
- unakite,
- agate,
- greenstone,
- nelsonite,
- jasper,
- quartz,
- staurolite,
- kyanite,
- hematite,
- and garnet.
Even if you know your way around Virginia, insight and additional information always come in handy during a rockhounding excursion. This guide is for rockhounds of all skill levels who want to collect the many treasures that lie waiting in Virginia.
If you are interested in checking out the best rockhounding tools you can find them by clicking here (Amazon link).
What Rocks Are Found in Virginia
The Old Dominion state provides plenty of rocks for collectors, including:
Unakite
| Location | GPS Coordinates |
|---|---|
| Shadwell | 38.012443, -78.395436 |
| Tye River | 37.652301, -78.947820 |
| Rose River | 38.488856, -78.331415 |
| Front Royal | 38.914704, -78.181273 |
| Troutdale | 36.706973, -81.436600 |
| Montebello | 37.863407, -79.137464 |
| Grant | 36.663719, -81.401892 |
If you’re looking for some of the highest-quality pieces of unakite in the U.S., Virginia is the right place to be! While this rock is most common in the eastern and central parts of the state, you can find some scattered throughout the western regions.
As mentioned, Virginia has some of the highest quality unakite, so it’s no wonder that visiting and local Virginia rockhounds seek out this colorful stone.
Collect gorgeous unakite rocks from Shadwell, Tye River, Rose River, and a few of the other locations listed above. If you want to find the highest quality unakite in the state, look near the central regions of Virginia.
Agate
| Location | GPS Coordinates |
|---|---|
| Walker Mountain | 37.045052, -81.228987 |
| Buck Mountain Creek | 38.199898, -78.553554 |
| Salem | 37.270427, -80.059546 |
| Winterham | 37.368633, -77.930961 |
| Arlington County | 38.854907, -77.034923 |
| Amelia County | 37.304261, -77.939408 |
| Loudoun County | 39.054022, -77.637091 |
From the beaches to the mountains, there are plenty of spots for rockhounds to find agates in Virginia. Wherever your travels take you in the Old Dominion state, you are sure to come across some colorful banded agates.
Walker Mountain, Buck Mountain Creek, Salem, and many other places in Virginia have tons of agates for rockhounds. It’s best to keep an eye out for this rock no matter where you travel to in the Old Dominion State.
Recommendation box: All tools and equipment you need for rockhounding and rock identification* (Amazon links):
1. Estwing Rock Hammer – Light, comfortable, and extremely durable hammer.
2. Estwing Geologist Pick – Classic and the most trusted paleo pick in the world.
3. Finder 12-inch Chisels – Heavy-duty chisels set with hand protection.
4. Mini Handle Shovel – This is a great tool for digging deep in the dirt.
5 Ironclad Utility Work Gloves – Breathable, but they also protect the areas requiring them most.
6. 3M Safety Glasses – Comfortable and efficient goggles for rockhounding.
7. Convoy 8+ UV Light – 365nm UV LED flashlight with a patented glass filter.
8. Wesley’s Jewelers Loupe – High magnification options (30X and 60X) with carrying case.
9. Mohs Hardness Kit – A specially designed kit for rockhounds
*All recommended products are personally tested and regularly used by experts from this website.
Greenstone
| Location | GPS Coordinates |
|---|---|
| Charlottsville | 38.023584, -78.474877 |
| Campbell County | 37.206752, -79.055328 |
| Albemarle County | 37.998745, -78.518707 |
| Lynchburg | 37.406913, -79.150015 |
| Forest | 37.354288, -79.296138 |
Virginia greenstone is famous for its eye-catching green color and durability, making it a popular choice for monuments, buildings, bridges, and other structures. Rockhounds often use it to create statues, garden décor, and other creations that require a strong but beautiful stone.
The quarries of Lynchburg are well known for their stunning greenstone, and Campbell County or Albemarle County are also worth checking out for this rock.
Nelsonite
| Location | GPS Coordinates |
|---|---|
| Nelson | 36.562534, -78.702323 |
| Roseland | 37.747232, -78.975901 |
| Colleen | 37.709996, -78.937155 |
| Lovingston | 37.754366, -78.888255 |
| Bryant | 37.793406, -78.963670 |
Nelsonite is Virginia’s state rock, and it’s an igneous rock that’s mostly composed of apatite and ilmenite.
During the early 1900s, this rock played an important role in Virginia’s economy since it was used as a source of titanium. It was named after Nelson County, near central Virginia, where it was first discovered in the state.
Visit Nelson and its surrounding areas to add nelsonite to your rockhounding collection.
Jasper
| Location | GPS Coordinates |
|---|---|
| Hawkbill Creek | 38.615306, -78.469972 |
| Troutdale | 36.707317, -81.438145 |
| Moormans River | 38.126537, -78.630367 |
| Arlington | 38.872235, -77.111430 |
| Rose River | 38.488856, -78.331415 |
You can bring home some gorgeous red jaspers from the Old Dominion state, and it is especially common in the eastern regions. In Virginia, jasper is typically found alongside epidote, so keep an eye out for this stunning mineral as you search for jasper.
Check out Hawkbill Creek, Moormans River, or a few of the other areas listed above to collect jaspers and possibly epidotes!
TIP: The most common opinion among scholars is that аgate and jasper are not the same minerals. Find out more in the article below:
Jasper vs. Agate: Crucial Differences (Are They Same?)
What Minerals Are Found in Virginia
Explore the minerals of the Old Dominion state in the following sections:
Quartz
| Location | GPS Coordinates |
|---|---|
| Henry County | 36.645504, -79.885767 |
| Floyd | 36.909771, -80.322287 |
| Charlotte County | 36.973976, -78.597283 |
| Amelia County | 37.312999, -78.002579 |
| Prince Edward County | 37.198611, -78.449550 |
| Saylers Creek | 37.287548, -78.223723 |
| Rose River | 38.503501, -78.355790 |
Virginia offers multiple types of quartz crystals for rockhounds, including clear, rutilated, blue, and smoky. Amethyst is also common throughout the state, and there are plenty of gem-quality specimens for collectors.
Keep in mind that if you search for clear quartz near the iron deposits of Virginia, the crystals might appear a bit orange rather than completely clear.
For Virginia amethyst, swing by Henry County, Charlotte County, and Amelia County. You can collect rutilated quartz crystals from Floyd, and blue or smoky crystals from the Rose River.
Staurolite
| Location | GPS Coordinates |
|---|---|
| Leigh Mountain | 37.203733, -78.358713 |
| Ashland | 37.742944, -77.479901 |
| Blue Ridge Mountains | 36.661228, -80.492525 |
| Stuart | 36.634904, -80.275245 |
| Fairy Stone State Park | 36.788442, -80.094041 |
| Henry County | 36.658174, -79.808176 |
Virginia is a great place to look for staurolite, which is also called “fairy cross” due to its unique, cross-like shape. According to Virginia’s Fairy Stone State Park, there’s a local legend in the state about the origin of these stones.
In the legend, fairies once lived in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and when they heard the news of the crucifixion of Christ, they wept. Their tears formed into little stone crosses, now known as fairy crosses.
Any area near the Blue Ridge Mountains is fair game for fairy crosses, but more specifically, Henry County and Fairy Stone State Park have high-quality staurolites for collectors.
TIP: A river rock is a natural stone that has been smoothed and shaped by the flow of water in a river. Find out more about this process in the article below:
River Rocks: This Makes Them Smooth and Round (How & Where)
Kyanite
| Location | GPS Coordinates |
|---|---|
| Willis Mountain | 37.476332, -78.463525 |
| Hurricane Knob | 36.707326, -80.453034 |
| Stuart | 36.634146, -80.273958 |
| Ashland Mill | 37.806224, -77.473682 |
| Lynchburg | 37.393549, -79.210440 |
| Carroll County | 36.703625, -80.781107 |
Rockhounds often bring home beautiful blue kyanite crystals from Virginia, and it’s typically found with pyrite in this state.
In addition, kyanite plays an important role in the commercial industries of Virginia, and the largest producer of kyanite in the world owns a few mines in this state, including one near Willis Mountain and another at Baker Mountain.
As you might have guessed, the areas outside of the kyanite mines are rich with this mineral. Willis Mountain, Hurricane Knob, and Ashland Mill are three places where you can start your search.
Hematite
| Location | GPS Coordinates |
|---|---|
| Peters Mountain | 37.606359, -80.240628 |
| Willis Mountain | 37.476298, -78.463482 |
| Hawkbill Creek | 38.613770, -78.471456 |
| Alleghany County | 37.734613, -80.041894 |
| Highland County | 38.307959, -79.629266 |
| Bath County | 38.025648, -79.718972 |
Virginia hematite comes in multiple colors, including red, gray, brown, and even silver. While there isn’t enough hematite in Virginia for commercial purposes, there is more than enough for rockhounds who want to create jewelry or add this mineral to their collections.
Swing by Peters Mountain, Willis Mountain, or Hawkbill Creek to bring home Virginia hematite. Highland County and Bath County are also known for this mineral.
Garnet
| Location | GPS Coordinates |
|---|---|
| Blue Ridge Mountains | 36.612332, -80.904514 |
| Hanks Knob | 36.642318, -80.849305 |
| Galax | 36.659262, -80.914335 |
| Willis Mountain | 37.476230, -78.463740 |
| Chestnut Mountain | 37.278441, -79.846875 |
| Moneta | 37.177463, -79.621867 |
There are a couple types of garnets that Virginia produces, including almandine and spessartine. While garnets from this state are usually red, they can come in other colors, such as brown, pink, and clear. As you search for this mineral, look for metamorphic rocks since these often contain gorgeous garnets.
Blue Ridge Mountains, Hanks Knob, and Galax are three areas with plenty of garnets for rockhounds. Virginia’s mountains, such as Willis Mountain and Chestnut Mountain, are also great places for this mineral.
TIP: Rock tumbler slurry isn’t hard to dispose of, but you will need some patience. Find out more in the article below:
Proven & Safe Tips: Disposing of Rock Tumbling Grit & Slurry
FAQ About Common Rocks & Minerals in Virginia
Learn more about the common rocks and minerals of Virginia with the following sections:
What Rare Rocks Can You Find in Virginia
In Virginia, some rare rocks that rockhounds often collect are sea glass, serpentine, petrified wood, unakite, agate, jasper, greenstone, and fossils. Unakites and fossils are two of the most popular rocks from this state, especially since high-quality unakite is rare in the U.S.
There are a few different types of fossils that collectors bring home from the Old Dominion state, including Megalodon teeth, Jeffersonius fossils shells, and other various marine creatures.
Some of the best Virginia fossils have been found in the Southeast areas of the state, so its best to start there if you’re after shark teeth or marine life. For unakites, agates, or jaspers, take a look at the locations listed in the previous sections.
What Rare Minerals Can You Find in Virginia
Fortunately for rockhounds, the list of rare minerals you can find in Virginia is a long one! From the Old Dominion state, you might bring back diamond, garnet, staurolite, kyanite, gold, opal, fluorite, beryl, moonstone, amethyst, and smoky quartz.
While diamonds and beryls are not common in this state, other rare minerals, such as staurolite and kyanite, are all over the place! Amethyst, smoky quartz, and other types of quartz are also abundant in Virginia, so keep an eye out for these shiny crystals during your travels.
If you can only visit one area during your Virginia adventures, swing by the Blue Ridge Mountains or the Appalachian Mountains. You can collect many kinds of rare minerals from these areas, so they are great spots for rockhounds who are on a tight schedule.
BTW: Do you want to know more about rock and mineral identification? The books listed below are the best ones you can find on the internet (Amazon links):
- Smithsonian Handbooks: Rocks & Minerals
- Gemstone & Crystal Properties (Quick Study Home)
- Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Rocks and Minerals (National Geographic Kids)
What is the Most Famous Rock or Mineral Found in Virginia
Both staurolite and unakite are two very popular stones in Virginia, but staurolite wins when it comes to fame. Some of the highest quality staurolites exist in Virginia, and there’s a state park where this mineral is extremely abundant.
Virginia even has its own a legend about the creation of staurolite, also called fairy stone. Scroll up to the section on staurolite above to learn more about this fascinating, cross-shaped mineral.
In addition to Fairy Stone State Park, Ashland and Stuart are two areas rich with staurolite. Use the locations listed above to find out exactly where to go for Virginia staurolite.
Conclusion
Virginia has a lot more to offer than most rockhounds expect, especially when it comes to rare rocks and minerals! With high-quality unakite, well-formed staurolite, and even diamonds and gold, this state is a treasure chest for rockhounds who want to add unique stones to their collections.
On your next trip to the Old Dominion state, see if you can spot some of the rocks and minerals mentioned in this guide!
TIP: Virginia boasts a wealth of opportunities for rockhounding enthusiasts, with its diverse landscapes offering various rocks and minerals waiting to be discovered. Find out more below:
Rockhounding in Virginia: Where to Go & What to Find