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Both zinc ore Sphalerite and calcium plagioclase feldspar Anorthite have perfect cleavage that will split cleanly if you hit them with a hammer, but only one can claim a larger split of your votes!
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Silver Valley Mine (Spring Valley Mine), Silver Valley, Cid Mining District, Davidson County, North Carolina, USAi
Regional Level Types
Silver Valley Mine (Spring Valley Mine)Mine (Inactive)
Silver ValleyUnincorporated Community
Cid Mining DistrictMining District
Davidson CountyCounty
North CarolinaState
USACountry

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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
35° 44' 0'' North , 80° 5' 59'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
35.73333,-80.10000
GRN:
N24W47
Type:
Mine (Inactive) - last checked 2019
Köppen climate type:
Cfa : Humid subtropical climate
Nearest Settlements:
PlacePopulationDistance
Denton1,657 (2017)11.2km
Thomasville27,061 (2017)16.7km
Southmont1,470 (2017)16.7km
Washington Park439 (2017)17.0km
Lexington19,326 (2017)17.1km
Nearest Clubs:
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
ClubLocationDistance
Forsyth Gem and Mineral ClubWinston-Salem, North Carolina43km
Greensboro Gem & Mineral ClubGreensboro, North Carolina47km
Mindat Locality ID:
23018
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:23018:1
GUID (UUID V4):
0


The principle metal produced here was silver with accessory lead along with minor copper and zinc.

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Commodity List

This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.


Mineral List


17 valid minerals.

Rock Types Recorded


Select Rock List Type

Alphabetical List Tree Diagram

Detailed Mineral List:

ⓘ Baryte
Formula: BaSO4
ⓘ Calcite
Formula: CaCO3
ⓘ Cerussite
Formula: PbCO3
Habit: Small prismatic crystals and small clusters, the later almost always twinned.
Colour: Usually chalky dull white on surface from weathering, translucent grey-white interior.
Description: Likely more prevalent and better specimens in active mining days. Collecting on the small remaining dumps yielding obvious but not impressive specimens.
ⓘ Chalcocite
Formula: Cu2S
ⓘ Chalcopyrite
Formula: CuFeS2
ⓘ 'Chert var. Novaculite' ?
Description: The cited reference gives a question mark after the term "novaculite". See my messageboard discussion for May 20, 2019. The rock is highly improbable to be sedimentary, hence a variety of chert - a strictly sedimentary rock term - does not fit. Rather the abundant material being referred to is almost certain to be rhyolite. The largely uniform light grey color reduces the amount of interest in it as a lapidary material, but it can and has been used for that.
ⓘ 'Chlorite Group'
ⓘ Covellite
Formula: CuS
ⓘ 'Freibergite Subgroup'
Formula: (Ag6,[Ag6]4+)(Cu4 C2+2)Sb4S12S0-1
ⓘ Galena
Formula: PbS
ⓘ Malachite
Formula: Cu2(CO3)(OH)2
ⓘ Muscovite
Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
ⓘ Muscovite var. Sericite
Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
ⓘ Native Gold
Formula: Au
ⓘ Native Silver
Formula: Ag
ⓘ 'Psilomelane'
ⓘ Pyrite
Formula: FeS2
✪ Pyromorphite
Formula: Pb5(PO4)3Cl
Habit: Highly diverse. Includes tabular with basal pinacoids all the way to slender prismatic with complete pyramid faces. Some of the later had yellow equant second-generation crystals attached epitaxially to the long colorless prism - "corn on the cob"! Also "spindles", "barrels", "rice grains", and acicular spheroids.
Colour: Every color reported for the species. Shades of green of course, also water-clear colorless, beige, tan, yellow, orange, white. But of special interest is the unique carnation pink crystals. Unfortunately these appear to be due to F-centers or lattice voids and not a chromophore. So they quickly fade in the sunlight.
Description: See details under habits and colors. This is a much smaller mine than the nearby Silver Hill Mine. But this mine surpasses Silver Hill in the amazing diversity of colors and habits of the pyromorphite.
ⓘ Quartz
Formula: SiO2
ⓘ Quartz var. Milky Quartz
Formula: SiO2
ⓘ Siderite
Formula: FeCO3
ⓘ Sphalerite
Formula: ZnS
ⓘ Tremolite
Formula: ◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 1 - Elements
ⓘNative Gold1.AA.05Au
ⓘNative Silver1.AA.05Ag
Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
ⓘChalcocite2.BA.05Cu2S
ⓘCovellite2.CA.05aCuS
ⓘSphalerite2.CB.05aZnS
ⓘChalcopyrite2.CB.10aCuFeS2
ⓘGalena2.CD.10PbS
ⓘPyrite2.EB.05aFeS2
ⓘ'Freibergite Subgroup'2.GB.05(Ag6,[Ag6]4+)(Cu4 C2+2)Sb4S12S0-1
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘQuartz4.DA.05SiO2
ⓘvar. Milky Quartz4.DA.05SiO2
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
ⓘCalcite5.AB.05CaCO3
ⓘSiderite5.AB.05FeCO3
ⓘCerussite5.AB.15PbCO3
ⓘMalachite5.BA.10Cu2(CO3)(OH)2
Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates
ⓘBaryte7.AD.35BaSO4
Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates
ⓘPyromorphite8.BN.05Pb5(PO4)3Cl
Group 9 - Silicates
ⓘTremolite9.DE.10◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2
ⓘMuscovite9.EC.15KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
ⓘvar. Sericite9.EC.15KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Unclassified
ⓘ'Chlorite Group'-
ⓘ'Psilomelane'-
ⓘ'Chert
var. Novaculite' ?		-

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
Hⓘ MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
Hⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Hⓘ Tremolite◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2
Hⓘ Muscovite var. SericiteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
CCarbon
Cⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Cⓘ CerussitePbCO3
Cⓘ MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
Cⓘ SideriteFeCO3
OOxygen
Oⓘ BaryteBaSO4
Oⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Oⓘ CerussitePbCO3
Oⓘ MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
Oⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Oⓘ PyromorphitePb5(PO4)3Cl
Oⓘ QuartzSiO2
Oⓘ SideriteFeCO3
Oⓘ Tremolite◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2
Oⓘ Quartz var. Milky QuartzSiO2
Oⓘ Muscovite var. SericiteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
MgMagnesium
Mgⓘ Tremolite◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2
AlAluminium
Alⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Alⓘ Muscovite var. SericiteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
SiSilicon
Siⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Siⓘ QuartzSiO2
Siⓘ Tremolite◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2
Siⓘ Quartz var. Milky QuartzSiO2
Siⓘ Muscovite var. SericiteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
PPhosphorus
Pⓘ PyromorphitePb5(PO4)3Cl
SSulfur
Sⓘ BaryteBaSO4
Sⓘ ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
Sⓘ ChalcociteCu2S
Sⓘ CovelliteCuS
Sⓘ Freibergite Subgroup(Ag6,[Ag6]4+)(Cu4 C22+)Sb4S12S0-1
Sⓘ GalenaPbS
Sⓘ PyriteFeS2
Sⓘ SphaleriteZnS
ClChlorine
Clⓘ PyromorphitePb5(PO4)3Cl
KPotassium
Kⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Kⓘ Muscovite var. SericiteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
CaCalcium
Caⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Caⓘ Tremolite◻Ca2Mg5(Si8O22)(OH)2
FeIron
Feⓘ ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
Feⓘ PyriteFeS2
Feⓘ SideriteFeCO3
CuCopper
Cuⓘ ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
Cuⓘ ChalcociteCu2S
Cuⓘ CovelliteCuS
Cuⓘ Freibergite Subgroup(Ag6,[Ag6]4+)(Cu4 C22+)Sb4S12S0-1
Cuⓘ MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
ZnZinc
Znⓘ SphaleriteZnS
AgSilver
Agⓘ Freibergite Subgroup(Ag6,[Ag6]4+)(Cu4 C22+)Sb4S12S0-1
Agⓘ Native SilverAg
SbAntimony
Sbⓘ Freibergite Subgroup(Ag6,[Ag6]4+)(Cu4 C22+)Sb4S12S0-1
BaBarium
Baⓘ BaryteBaSO4
AuGold
Auⓘ Native GoldAu
PbLead
Pbⓘ CerussitePbCO3
Pbⓘ GalenaPbS
Pbⓘ PyromorphitePb5(PO4)3Cl

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

North AmericaContinent
North America PlateTectonic Plate
USA

This page contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary.

References

Rocks & Minerals: 60: 89.
PARDEE, J T & PARK, JR., C F, 1948, USGS PROF PAPER 213, P.
Carpenter, P. Albert III (1976) Metallic Mineral Deposits of the Carolina Slate Belt. Bulletin 84. North Carolina Geological Surveyp.53
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