A wide variety of minerals occur in Virginia. These minerals form the basic building blocks of the rocks that shape the landscape. Minerals exhibit distinctive properties that makes each unique. In Virginia minerals are mined for industrial purposes, collected by enthusiasts, and used for scientific research to help us better understand the Earth. The list of minerals below highlights a few of the most common or popular minerals that are found in Virginia. If you would like more details on the distribution of minerals in our state, click here. To view our Mineral Collecting In Virginia factsheet click here.