Picui is one of the most traditional municipality of mineral producing of serido region, state of Paraiba, Brazil, where the mining prospector dates back to the late 19th century. Occupies a significant portion of the of Pegmatític Borborema Province, of immense geological diversity. Supracrustal rocks of the Seridó Group (schists, quartzites and gneisses) were affected by granitic, pegmittic and volcanic magmatic events, imprinting batholiths, plugs dikes, sills and veins. The set was subordinated to compressional tectonic events evidenced by the Picuí-João Câmara, Frei Martinho and Santa Mônica shear zones, imprinting failed and folded fractures. Various metallic and nonmetallic minerals are extracted economically of pegmatite bodies, such is quartz, feldspar, muscovite, beril, tantalite, spodumene (used in the manufacture of batteries for electric cars), in addition to granites for ornamental stone and civil construction and clays for red pottery, completing the mineral production chain. The Mining forms the basis of the economy of the region, especially in periods of major droughts, when agricultural activities become impractical. The artisanal mining (“garimpo”)  is the principal activity on region, causing significant environmental degradation due to lack of planning and specialized professionals.  Development in technology, increasing environmental awareness of the public and private sectors and the implementation of new Laws must inevitably be applied of the mineral sector to adhere to the principles of sustainability of clean development. This work presents the many faces of the small mining of  Picui and offers challenges, questions and opportunities for mining support.