Critical Minerals Factbook
Deposit

Hilton Head Island

Hilton Head Island is a deposit with published resource estimates in South Carolina, recorded in the USGS USMIN rare earth element occurrence database (ver. 4.0, June 2019).

Facts on this page last re-verified Aug 12, 2026 — the oldest verification date among its current claims. How we verify.

Location: South Carolina, United States (32.200, -80.733 approx.)

Commodities: rare earth elements (in monazite); ilmenite; rutile; zircon

Deposit model: coastal heavy-mineral sands · unclassified

Geology

Analysis revealed an average heavy mineral content of 2.19 percent to an average depth of 11.1 feet.” The average percentage of heavy minerals contained in the top 10 feet of the 545 drill holes was 2.24.” (McCauley (1960))

Published resource estimates

As compiled by USGS USMIN from the cited studies. Resource classes follow the source; "approximate" flags values USMIN reports as approximations. These are not current company reserve statements.

MaterialClassAmountGradeContainedAs ofReference
monaziteEconomically Exploitable≈759,300,000 t0.008111 percent61,000 metric tons monaziteJan 1, 1983Jackson and Christiansen (1993), Pages 64-65 — Jackson, W.D., and Christiansen, G., 1993, International Strategic Minerals Inventory Summary Report—Rare-earth oxides: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 930–N, 68 p.
zircon (ZrSiO4)Economically Exploitable≈759,300,000 t0.069111 percent261,000 metric tons ZrJan 1, 1983Jackson and Christiansen (1993), Pages 64-65 — Jackson, W.D., and Christiansen, G., 1993, International Strategic Minerals Inventory Summary Report—Rare-earth oxides: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 930–N, 68 p.
rutile (TiO2)Economically Exploitable≈759,300,000 t0.12111 percent546,000 metric tons TiJan 1, 1983Jackson and Christiansen (1993), Pages 64-65 — Jackson, W.D., and Christiansen, G., 1993, International Strategic Minerals Inventory Summary Report—Rare-earth oxides: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 930–N, 68 p.
ilmenite (FeTiO3)Economically Exploitable≈759,300,000 t0.266111 percent637,000 metric tons TiJan 1, 1983Jackson and Christiansen (1993), Pages 64-65 — Jackson, W.D., and Christiansen, G., 1993, International Strategic Minerals Inventory Summary Report—Rare-earth oxides: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 930–N, 68 p.

Exploration and site history

Record imported from USGS USMIN ver. 4.0 (June 2019). Developments after that date appear on facility records, not here; see the methodology.

Sources