Various types of stone resources rank second in financial value of minerals. These include:
Calcareous marl (an earthy deposit containing usually lime, clay and sand)—in the Tidewater section—used as a soil neutralizer
Cement rock—limestone, marl, shale and clay—in the Coastal Plain and in Augusta, Botetourt, Norfolk and Warren Counties—used in forming portland cement and masonry cement
Dolomite (a brittle calcium magnesium carbonate)—in the Valley west of the Blue Ridge Mountains—used as a source of magnesium, for the manufacture of refractories, for building and crushed stone
Granite—in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge provinces—used for building monumental stone, crushed stone and paving blocks
Greenstone (a dark-green crystalline rock)—in Lynchburg and in the Piedmont area—used for crushed stone and one particular type is used for ornamental stone
Limestone—west of the Blue Ridge, in the Appalachian Valley and in the far west of the state—used in the production of lime and for manufacturing chemicals, for cement, as a soil conditioner, for crushed stone and rock wool insulation
Marble—in Rockingham, Rockbridge, Scott and Giles Counties—used extensively for monumental stone: jet black, green, white, red, reddish-brown, blue, gray, blue-gray, pink and variegated (different colors within one type); the pink marble is similar to the Tennessee marble and is found primarily in Smyth County
Shale (a fragile rock resembling slate)—in the Valley—used in the manufacture of bricks, portland cement and rock wool
Sandstone—Oriskany sandstone in Frederick and in Rockingham Counties—chief source for the manufacture of all glass
Slate—in Piedmont or eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in Albemarle and Buckingham Counties—used chiefly for roofs, baseboards, blackboards, switchboards, sidewalks, flagstones and asphalt shingles
There are several miscellaneous minerals which, when combined, rank third in financial value of minerals in the state. These miscellaneous minerals include:
Aplite—among Piedmont crystalline rocks along the Piney River in Amherst County—used in the ceramic and glass industry—Virginia ranks first in quantity and in value
Bauxite—in Augusta County—used for manufacturing aluminum, chemicals and abrasives
Gypsum—in Smyth and Washington Counties—used primarily for the manufacture of cement, plaster of paris, wallboards, fillers and chalk
Iron ore—in central and southwestern parts of the state—used in furnaces for the extraction of the metal itself
Kyanite—in Buckingham, Charlotte and Prince Edward Counties—used in the manufacture of high-temperature refractories, used by metallurgical and glass industries, for insulators, for spark plugs, porcelains, boiler furnaces and in the ceramics industry—Virginia ranks first in quantity and in value
Manganese—in central and southwestern parts of the state—in Augusta, Bland, Smyth, Giles and Wythe Counties—used in the manufacture of steel, dry batteries, chemicals, ceramics, fertilizer, drier in varnish and printer's ink
Petroleum—in Lee and Scott Counties—used primarily for fuel
Salt—in southwest—in Smyth and Washington Counties—used in the manufacture of various industrial chemicals and for specialized used in food, clay, dye, glass and paper industries; the brine used in manufacturing chlorine and soda ash
Soapstone—in Albemarle, Franklin and Nelson Counties—used for the manufacture of switchboards, electric insulators, insecticides (ground soapstone) and for industrial and research laboratories
Talc—in Fairfax and in Franklin Counties—used as paint extender and as pigment, paper and rubber filler, ceramic products, lubricant, dusting material and abrasives
Titanium concentrates—in Nelson, Hanover and Amherst Counties—these minerals consist of ilmenite (used chiefly in the manufacture of pigments and to a slight extent in making steel) and rutile (used mainly for coating on electrical welding rods); titanium is used for increasing the hardness, strength and durability of steel and is sometimes used in making pottery, china and stainless steel—Virginia ranks third in titanium concentrates
Sand and gravel, used primarily for roadbuilding and general construction projects, rank fourth in value. Most of the sand and gravel is located along the Coastal Plain, especially in Henrico, Chesterfield, Prince George and Princess Anne Counties. Sand and gravel are also used for "fill," for engine sands, railroad ballast and glass. Clay (excluding that type used in the manufacture of pottery) ranks fifth in financial value. Clay deposits are widespread throughout Virginia—especially in Botetourt, Buckingham, Chesterfield, Henrico and Prince William Counties—and vary from red to light-colored to white. They are used chiefly for brick and tile construction.
With respect to metals, Virginia mines the following:
Barite—widespread deposits—used in the preparation of oil well drilling, muds, chemicals
Diatomite—Tidewater section—an earthy material used as an insulator, as a filter medium for oils, in sugar refining
Feldspar—widespread deposits—chiefly in Amelia, Bedford and Prince Edward Counties—used chiefly in the ceramics industry for making pottery and in the manufacture of glass, enamelware, enamel brick, and as an abrasive in soaps and cleansers
Gold—northeast Piedmont and Blue Ridge Plateau—little gold at present but the best developed gold deposits are located in Fauquier, Buckingham, Culpeper, Goochland, Louisa, Orange, Spotsylvania and Stafford Counties—chief uses of gold include as a bullion for backing of United States currency, in the manufacture of jewelry, in the process of gilding, lettering, plating, and in the chemical industry
Lead and Zinc—lead: in Albemarle, Spotsylvania, Louise and Wythe Counties—used in the manufacture of paint, in storage batteries, cable covering and as an alloy; zinc: in Scott, Wythe, Rockingham and Spotsylvania Counties—used for producing metallic zinc, for galvanizing and (when alloyed with copper) for making brass
Mica—among the crystalline rocks of the Piedmont Provinces—white mica called muscovite is used chiefly for electric insulation, for coating wallpaper, for roofing paper, in lubricants and in heat-resistant windows; sheet mica is used in electronic equipment—in Amelia, Bedford, and Henrico Counties
Natural gas—in Buchanan and Dickenson Counties—used for fuel and power
Pyrite—widespread deposits, particularly in Carroll County—used for its sulphur content in the manufacture of sulfuric acid—Virginia ranks second in quantity
Tungsten—in Mecklenburg County—used for making high-speed tool steel and munitions
Wool-rock—in the Valley of Virginia and the Ridge provinces—used for the manufacture of rock wool for heat and sound insulation
As civilization progresses and new inventions are created, the demand for natural resources will increase. As new processing methods are devised, Virginia will undoubtedly increase the development of such resources.