Where to Find Quartz in Virginia

Virginia quartz follows the Blue Ridge metamorphic belt and the Piedmont pegmatite zones. Amelia Court House in Amelia County is the historic flagship, with smoky, milky, and rose quartz coming out of the old feldspar mines along the Rutherford pegmatite. The Morefield mine, when open to public digs, has yielded gem-grade amazonite-and-quartz pockets. Rockbridge and Botetourt counties produce vein quartz with hematite inclusions, and the Stuart area in Patrick County is known for blue-gray phantom quartz from the same pegmatite belt that crosses into North Carolina. Field finds in red Piedmont soil clean up well with mild dish soap.

Standout quartz spots in Virginia

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

Best counties for quartz in Virginia

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

Bedford County3 spots
Amelia County2 spots
Carroll County2 spots
Floyd County2 spots
Rockbridge County2 spots
Warren County2 spots
Albemarle County1 spot
Amherst County1 spot
Bath County1 spot
Bland County1 spot
Caroline County1 spot
Charlotte County1 spot
Fluvanna County1 spot
Giles County1 spot
Hanover County1 spot
Loudoun County1 spot
Louisa County1 spot
Madison County1 spot
Prince William County1 spot
Rockingham County1 spot
Spotsylvania County1 spot

Every quartz spot we track in Virginia

Sorted by county. Coordinates open in Google Maps.

Spot	County	Minerals	Coordinates	Access
FaberGreen Creek Road	Albemarle County	Azurite Cerussite Chalcopyrite Fluorite Galena Pyromorphite Smithsonite Sphalerite +1 more	37.8316, -78.6669	Public
Amelia Court HouseButlers Road	Amelia County	Amazonite Amethyst Feldspar Cleavelandite Quartz Blue Topaz Beryl Tourmaline +3 more	37.3582, -77.9185	Public
Sayler's CreekSayler's Creek Road	Amelia County	Amethyst Quartz	37.3109, -78.2301	Public
Fancy HillThrashers Creek Road	Amherst County	Amethyst Quartz	37.6702, -79.1263	Public
Chestnut Ridge	Bath County	Quartz	38.0924, -79.5232	Public
Chestnut MountainHazelwood Terrace	Bedford County	Garnet Biotite Quartz Tourmaline	37.2757, -79.8430	Public
MonetaReindeer Point	Bedford County	Garnet Pyrite Quartz Rutile Perthite Tourmaline Zoisite	37.1947, -79.5686	Public
Peaks of OtterSharp Top Access Trail	Bedford County	Beryl Columbite Feldspar Garnet Quartz Amethyst Tourmaline	37.4329, -79.6043	Public
Walker MountainSouth Scenic Highway	Bland County	Quartz Agate	37.0505, -81.2256	Public
LadysmithGalyen Lane	Caroline County	Green Beryl Feldspar Quartz Black Tourmaline	37.9821, -77.5831	Public
Hanks KnobCoal Creek Road	Carroll County	Garnet Pyrite Pyrrhotite Quartz Rutile	36.6272, -80.8589	Public
Laurel ForkFireside Drive	Carroll County	Quartz	36.7276, -80.5062	Public
Charlotte CourthouseDogwood Road	Charlotte County	Amethyst Quartz	37.0522, -78.6777	Public
Chestnut Creek WetlandsKyle Weeks Road Southwest	Floyd County	Quartz	36.8470, -80.4462	Public
FloydValley Drive Northwest	Floyd County	Quartz	36.9290, -80.3569	Permission
Byrd CreekShannon Hill Road	Fluvanna County	Gold Quartz	37.8155, -78.1456	Public
Spruce RunSpruce Run Road	Giles County	Quartz	37.2729, -80.5531	Public
Ashland MillI 95	Hanover County	Mica Quartz Moonstone Amazonite Feldspar Kyanite Rutile	37.8138, -77.4613	Public
Loudon CountyCochran Mill Road	Loudoun County	Calcite Datolite Epidote Natrolite Stilbite Diopside Magnetite Prehnite +1 more	39.0819, -77.5219	Public
TreviliansBrickhouse Road	Louisa County	Amethyst Quartz	38.0083, -78.1267	Public
Rose RiverOld Blue Ridge Turnpike	Madison County	Unakite Epidote Jasper Blue Quartz Smoky Quartz Quartz Black Chert	38.4849, -78.3233	Public
MinnievilleRunning Creek Drive	Prince William County	Amethyst Quartz	38.6359, -77.3997	Public
SpottswoodOtterbein Farm Lane	Rockbridge County	Quartz	37.9490, -79.2695	Public
Tye River GapTye River Turnpike	Rockbridge County	Epidote Unakite Beryl Quartz	37.8869, -79.1565	Public
South Fork Shenandoah RiverOld Spotswood Trail	Rockingham County	Quartz	38.4081, -78.6354	Public
BrokenburgCourthouse Road	Spotsylvania County	Beryl Feldspar Quartz	38.1465, -77.7005	Public
Front RoyalDeerhaven Road	Warren County	Biotite Quartz Unakite Copper	38.9153, -78.1349	Public
RivertonI 66	Warren County	Calcite Quartz	38.9483, -78.1831	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 Virginia FAQ

Where can you find quartz in Virginia?+

The mapped spots concentrate in Bedford County, Amelia County, and Carroll County. Known collecting areas include Amelia Court House pegmatites (Amelia County), Morefield mine (Amelia County), and Stuart pegmatites (Patrick County). Every spot on this page appears on the map above with coordinates and access notes.

How many quartz spots are mapped in Virginia?+

28 spots across 21 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 Virginia?+

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. 27 of the 28 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 Virginia

Hunt quartz in Virginia 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.

Standout quartz spots in Virginia

Amelia Court House

Fancy Hill

Byrd Creek

Loudon County