Donna asks…
How do I display the agates I have collected so I don't have to dust them?
I've collected agates since I was a kid. Right now I have them in an open wooden rectangular container on a table. I'd like to put them in some type of glass display with a lid so I don't have to dust them. Does anyone know of display cases for agates?
admin answers:
Perhaps a shadowbox would work. It is a shallow picture-framed box, and probably the least expensive option. You will need to measure your largest agates to see if they would fit a particular shadow box.
Other options are acrylic or glass wall and countertop display cases with doors. These tend to be expensive.
Linda asks…
Where can I find agates in northwest Washington?
I have recently taken my nephew on a few trips to look for agates or quartz crystals in northern Washington, unfortunatley we have returned empty handed on each trip. Any advise on where we should go looking?
admin answers:
Since you weren't specific as to your location or where you have looked, you might try finding some information from your local library or even asking at "gem" type shops. We live in Lewis county and go rock hounding often in the summer months with great success. Most of the creeks and rivers we hunt are mountain or glacier fed-elevation drop is key here. We have found quartz crystal, jasper, jade, cinebar, agates of every color, amber, quartz-type colored pink, pale blue, turquoise, lavender, purple, greens and yellows, and some very nice petrified wood which can get quite heavy.
It sure is a great way to cool off, observe wildlife and nature at work. We live on a large creek and it changes every year and keeps turning up new 'finds'. Good luck to you!
Sharon asks…
What gravel pits in Minnesota are open to rockhounds looking for Lake Superior agates?
I will be heading to MN this July and have heard that searching gravel pits can be the best source for finding Lake Superior Agates. I don't have a clue though on which gravel pits I should even try to approach for permission. Can anyone provide me with a name and location to try? Thanks
admin answers:
YEARS ago (actually decades), the gravel pits were a great place to find the agates, but no such luck these days. More to do with private property and accidents, law suits, etc.
My family vacations were spent looking for rocks around the country, but my great aunt lived just outside of Grand Marais and we would spend time every summer looking for agates and thompsonites on Lake Superior's shores.
Unfortunately, for the past 40 years, everyone else has been looking and finding rocks so finding them in 2008 has become a challenge The 2nd link is a thread from a few years ago from people searching for agates too! Not a lot of luck.
There's always AGATE DAYS in Moose Lake! (The LAST link gives you phone numbers--maybe you could get the name of the company supplying the gravel---- and if you get the name and permission to go into a gravel pit, please let me know too---click on my name to have Yahoo forward an e-mail!!)
Just looked at the link from MOOSE LAKE'S AGATE DAYS. Wait for the pics to load. They bring a dump truck a dump full of rocks to the town and there's pics of people going through it...what fun!
Carlton County Gem and Mineral Club
and the Moose Lake Chamber of Commerce present...
Moose Lake Agate Days 2008
Minnesota's Moose Lake High School Gymnasium and Parking Lot
Saturday, July 19th 9:00 A.M. To 5:00 P.M.
Agate Stampede will be at 2:00 P.M. (Saturday only) (350 Pounds of Agates & $ 300.00 Dollars in quarters)
Sunday, July 20th 9:00 A.M. To 4:00 P.M.
REALLY look at this last link for some contact names.
Seriously--if you get permission to get into a gravel pit, please let me know! LOVE looking for rocks!
And an unusual hint---whenever you are by railroad tracks, stop and look at the gravel they used. I've found about 10 lbs of good rock that way! (But you have to know your rocks.)
Have fun and happy hunting! (Finding the rocks is just luck...)
Richard asks…
How much can I sell agates for?
I have a 60 lbs of agates that my dad has collected in Minnesota over a period of 20 years. We were looking to sell them, but we didn't know where, how much we could sell them for, or if they would even be worth selling. That would be great if someone could help.
admin answers:
Here is a quote from the source below that should be of assistance in selling these stones. The web sites below can provide you with retail prices so, the wholesale prices for your agates may be around half as much.
"In general, agate prices are quite modest with most of the price paying for the fashioning rather than the material itself. In the case of these agates, those with particularly distinctive or landscape like patterns, or those of especially large size, are at a premium. Sinkankas lists wholesale values of commercial grade standard cabs as ranging from $.50 - $20 each, depending on size. Custom cutting or pieces from collectible locations would be substantially more expensive. Especially fine patterns are cited as bringing up to $200 per piece."
(http://www.gemsociety.org/info/gems/chalcedony.htm)
Another option may be to visit a local pawn store to see what they can offer you for the stones. Best of luck.
See the links below for additional information.
George asks…
What are some other rocks that are found near agates?
What are some valuable, or just beautiul stones that you can find near agates?
admin answers:
Http://www.quartzpage.de/agate.html
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