Buckwheat dump mineral collecting site

Nestled in Sussex County, New Jersey, the Buckwheat dump mineral collecting site at the Franklin Mine is roughly 45 miles northwest of New York City, making it an accessible day trip for enthusiasts. The site is part of the Franklin Mineral Museum on Evans Street, surrounded by rural landscapes ideal for exploration.

This locality is a treasure trove for mineral collectors, boasting over 300 different minerals, many of which fluoresce under ultraviolet light. Standouts include willemite (green fluorescence), zincite (red or yellow), and franklinite (black, non-fluorescent). The Buckwheat dump, a 3.5-acre field of waste rock, continues to yield new discoveries, including rare fluorescent minerals like cuspidine and uraninite.

The minerals here are embedded in the Franklin Marble, a metamorphic rock from the Proterozoic eon, about 1.3 billion years old. This formation resulted from metal-rich fluids interacting with ancient limestone during deep burial and metamorphism, creating a unique geological setting.

Mining began with iron in the 1770s, shifting to zinc in the early 1800s. The New Jersey Zinc Company operated the mine from 1897 until its closure in 1957 due to depleted zinc ore. The Buckwheat Mine, starting in 1866, expanded into an open pit by 1912, leaving behind the dump now popular for collecting.

Franklin's identity is deeply tied to its mining past, with the Franklin Mineral Museum (founded 1964) as a cultural hub. It hosts events like night digs, where collectors can see minerals glow under UV light, reflecting the community's pride in its geological heritage.

New Jersey's climate is humid subtropical, with warm, wet summers and cold, snowy winters. While mining historically impacted the local ecology, the site is now managed by the museum to minimize environmental harm, preserving it for educational and recreational use.