Beautiful minerals you can find in Central Virginia

MineralsPhoto byTakemaru HiraionUnsplash

WRIC 8 News reported that Central Virginia has a wide variety of minerals. Monday, September 16, was National "Collect Rocks" Day.

The Virginia Department of Energy says amazonite, calcite, epidote, feldspar, garnet, gold, hematite, kyanite, mica, pyrite, quartz, and staurolite are Virginia’s most abundant minerals.

Below is an alphabetical list of Central Virginia locations and their minerals.

Albemarle County

A variety of minerals have been found in Albemarle. This includes apatite, dolomite, talc, fluorite, pyrite, quartz, magnetite, and malachite.

Amelia County

Minerals in Amelia County include muscovite, quartz, rose quartz, tourmaline, topaz, zircon, apatite, cleavelandite, fluorite, amazonite, and rutile.

AmazonitePhoto byEnergy Virginia Screenshot

Buckingham County

Minerals found in Buckingham include azurite, epidote, malachite, pyrite, quartz, placer gold, gold, silver, covellite, tourmaline, hematite, kyanite, lazulite, and iridescent limonite.

Caroline County

Three different minerals found in Caroline include beryl, garnet, and tourmaline.

Chesterfield County

Chesterfield County is home to apatite, beryl, garnet, microcline, and molybdenite.

City of Richmond

Dewey DiamondPhoto byVirginia Rock Shop Screenshot

A 23.75-carat Dewey diamond was found in 1855 in the City of Richmond. It was the largest diamond found in America before 1884. Vivianite also has been found in Richmond. Richmond is the only city on this list. The other places are counties.

Fluvanna County

A few different minerals have been found in Fluvanna, including jasper, rhodonite, and pyrolusite.

Goochland County

A few different minerals have been found in Goochland. This includes gold, pyrite, tetradymite, ilmenite, and rutile.

GoldPhoto byBhautik AndhariyaonUnsplash

Hanover County

Several different minerals have been found in Hanover. This includes andesine, garnet, blue quartz, kyanite, muscovite, orthoclase, and rutile.

Louisa County

Many different minerals have been found in Louisa. This includes gold, magnetite, pyrite, silver, scheelite, copper, hornblende, tremolite and tourmaline.

SilverPhoto byRenee KiffinonUnsplash

Mecklenburg County

A few different minerals have been found in Mecklenburg. This includes fluorite, galena, scheelite, and tetrahedrite, among others.

Powhatan County

Several different minerals have been found in Powhatan. This includes amazonite, muscovite, topaz, wodginite, biotite crystals, columbine-tantalite, and samaskite.

Prince Edward County

Several different minerals have been found in Prince Edward. This includes chromian muscovite, garnet, hematite, kyanite, pyrite, rutile, and amethyst crystals.