Where to Find Quartz in New Mexico

New Mexico quartz comes from pegmatite and vein settings across the northern half of the state. The Harding mine in Taos County produced clear and smoky quartz alongside its famous lepidolite and microcline. The Sandia and Manzano mountains east of Albuquerque carry smoky and milky quartz vein material in granite. Pegmatites in Rio Arriba County (Petaca, Ojo Caliente) yield smoky points and microcline-quartz intergrowths. Surface quartz on roadcuts through the Sangre de Cristo and Jemez ranges is common; gem-grade crystals concentrate in active pegmatite pockets and rarely surface on open dumps.

Spot list checked against source data on April 1, 2026.

Standout quartz spots in New Mexico

Hand-picked from the full list below, with the reason each one earns a trip.

Best counties for quartz in New Mexico

Ranked by the number of mapped quartz spots. County links open the full rockhounding page for that county.

Every quartz spot we track in New Mexico

Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
Luna (agate area)Bill Knight Gap Road	Catron County	Agate Chalcedony Jasper Quartz	33.8189, -108.9548	Public
RoswellRiver Road	Chaves County	Quartz	33.3950, -104.3999	Permission
Fort SumnerSouth 9th Street	De Baca County	Quartz Pecos Diamonds	34.4591, -104.2396	Public
Fort Sumner (Pecos diamonds)US 60	De Baca County	Quartz Pecos Diamonds	34.4731, -104.7230	Public
Hatch	Doña Ana County	Agate Chalcedony Jasper Quartz	32.7108, -107.1072	Public
Hatch (goethite area)County Road 0068	Doña Ana County	Goethite Fluorite Quartz	32.7569, -107.1355	Public
Artesia	Eddy County	Quartz Pecos Diamonds	32.8313, -104.3178	Public
Tres Hermanas Mtscdt	Luna County	Dumortierite Hydrozincite Pyrolusite Quartz Smithsonite Willemite	31.9307, -107.7255	Public
PetacaForest Road 45	Rio Arriba County	Pink Feldspar Mica Quartz	36.5033, -106.0235	Public
KingstonKingston Road	Sierra County	Quartz Quartz Clusters	32.9312, -107.7106	Public
Oscura MountainsWsmr South Route 3501	Socorro County	Chrysocolla Chalcocite Atacamite Azurite Barite Celestite Cerussite Dolomite +4 more	33.8118, -106.3750	Permission
Harding Pegmatite Mine	Taos County	Blue Apatite Bityite Eucryptite Purple Lepidolite Rose Muscovite Quartz Spodumene Green Tourmaline	36.1933, -105.7950	Public

Before you go

Read the quartz identification guide so you know what a keeper looks like in the field: Quartz in the encyclopedia.

Quartz in New Mexico FAQ

Where can you find quartz in New Mexico?+

The mapped spots concentrate in De Baca County, Doña Ana County, and Catron County. Known collecting areas include Harding mine (Taos County), Petaca pegmatites (Rio Arriba County), and Sandia Mountains (Bernalillo County). Every spot on this page appears on the map above with coordinates and access notes.

How many quartz spots are mapped in New Mexico?+

12 spots across 10 counties. The RockHoundR app keeps the same spots on an offline map with public land overlays, geology layers, and your saved finds.

Is it legal to collect quartz in New Mexico?+

Hand collecting of common rocks and minerals in small amounts for personal use is generally allowed on BLM and U.S. Forest Service land, with limits set by the local field office. National parks, most state parks, and tribal land are closed to collecting. 10 of the 12 mapped spots here sit on land marked public. Always confirm current rules with the managing agency before you dig.

Where else to find quartz

More minerals to hunt in New Mexico

Hunt quartz in New Mexico with the map in your pocket

RockHoundR puts these spots on an offline map with BLM and Forest Service overlays, geology layers, and a log for your finds.