Morefield Mine
Each fall semester, Dr. Jodie Hayob takes her mineralogy students to the Morefield Pegmatite Mine in Amelia County, Virginia. The mine is located approximately 30 miles west of Richmond. The Morefield Pegmatite is a complex pegmatite that is world-renowned for its large blue-green amazonite crystals (a variety of feldspar) and bronze-colored zinnwaldite (a type of mica). The Morefield Pegmatite is considered to be the best of only three amazonite localities in the United States. A re-creation of the Morefield Pegmatite is one of only four featured mine exhibits at the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of Natural History.
The Morefield mine was originally opened in 1929 by Silas V. Morefield, and is now owned and operated by Sharon and Sam Dunaway. The mine, largely recreational, is open to the public. It is the only current gem mine in Virginia! The mineralized zone is at least 2,000 feet long and 300 feet deep. Minerals of commercial value include mica, feldspar, beryl, phenakite and tantalum/columbite, although over 70 mineral varieties have been discovered.
The photo below was taken within the mine during a recent class visit led by Dr. Hayob (far right). Blue-green amazonite is visible in the upper left portion of the photograph and a lare zinnwaldite mica (dark color) is in the lower left. The whit mineral is cleavelandite (a variety of sodium feldspar).
The photo below features a beryl crystal (six-sided mineral below center) that is exposed in the roof of one of the mine tunnels. The crystal is about 8 inches in diameter. Blue-green amazonite and white cleavelandite feldspar are also visible. Darker minerals include smoky quartz and zinnwaldite mica.
