Virtually all of the original blue agate beds are now 2003 part of private land. Ellensburg blue agates and where to look rockhounding. Agate deposits are primarily found in large rocks such as boulders. Ellensburg blue agates are extracted for use as gemstones in march. Our collection of ellensburg blue jewelry features strong and durable designs with an artistic touch. These rare lake superior agates are mostly found at the north shore of lake superior. This booklet will attempt to outline the origin of these remarkable agates. It is also the birth stone for the zodiac sign of gemini see the birthstone list for other. Art of jewelry one of a kind ellensburg blue jewelry. Inside out, just released in 2010, is among the best.
Ellensburg blue agate is only found near its namesake, ellensburg washington usa. Mitchell detailed maps and descriptive text lead the rockhound to over 82 of the best collecting. The jewelers son, john prentiss thompson, became a geologist and wrote a book about ellensburg blues. Try your luck at the rock n tomahawk ranch 2590 upper. It includes information such as collecting locations that ive visited or that ive researched. Published by the university press of kentucky, the book was written by kgs research geologist warren anderson and agate collector roland mcintosh. Founded in chicago in 2003, agate publishing has five unique imprints.
Greek agate is a name given to pale white to tan colored agate found in sicily, once a greek colony, back to 400 bc. There are other blue agates in the world, but only one ellensburg blue, a choice find with a virtual cult following. The ellensburg blue agate ranks as the third rarest gemstone in. Pat mcmahans, agates, the pat mcmahan collection is an exceptional masterpiece showcasing some of the finest agates in the world. Ellensburg blue agate unique to kittitas county the observer.
Agate is essentially quartz, and its physical properties are in general those of. Collecting agates and jaspers of north america by patti. The color of the ellensburg blue agate ranges from a light sky blue through a cornflower blue to an almost purple royal blue. Ellensburg blue agates most every rockhound has heard of the ellensburg blue agates. I found polished agate gemstone rocks at the museum of natural history gift shop and have also gotten some in gift shops in mountain towns on vacation. Apr 26, 2017 i know it has been a while, since i shared anything new, but today i am going to help you out a bit. Blue lace agate can help a person stave off postpartum depression as well as encouraging lactation. Thank you for visiting agates with inclusions, please come again. Ellensburg blue agate is one of the rarest stones in the world and the only blue agate considered a precious gemstone. Author patti polk is recognized as one of the top agate collectors in the world as noted in the highly respected reference book agates iii by johann zenz.
Agate nesaule books list of books by author agate nesaule. First discovered by the kittitas indians who inhabited the area, and in 19 offered this advice on finding the agates, one should walk with the sun over your left shoulder. Jun 15, 2010 and in terms of its comprehensive content, readability, organization, and superb color photography, karen a. The following are just a few of the materials available from the iae website. Agate beach oregon agate beach, oregon, got its name because of the many agate rocks that are found on the shoreline between newport and yaquina head. Feel free to bookmark andor link to this site so you can see the agates gallery grow and change over time.
Peter jacksons film expands the role of arwen undomiel in some ways, diminishing her in others. The book is completed with significant setions on jasper coauthored by us jasper expert hans gamma and on agate inclusions in collaboration with us agate collector pat mcmanan. Agates is a comprehensive reference written by one of north americas leading experts in cooperation with the natural history museum of london. The ellensburg blue agates in the valley came from a layer of basalt lava north of. Bolden books, which publishes fiction and nonfiction by africanamerican writers. Witches, halloween, pumpkin big pumpkin by erica silverman is a funny halloween story that will delight children in preschool, kindergarten and first. Unlike other forms of agate that have been around since the time of the ancient greeks, blue lace agate is a rare form of agate that was discovered within the last 60 years. Lake superior agates books about skip an atom and tiny. Blue lace agate stone, discover the blue lace agate meaning. Those interested in seeing blues first hand dont have to go any farther than downtown ellensburg. A good example is red top mountain in washington state. Carnelian is yelloworange to orangey red and translucent. The most agate families were found in the uk in 1891.
The book also contains information on agate mining operations, including information on the genesis of the agates at that site, the history of operations and. These occur in brownish tones interlayered with white and gray. Cwus nick zentner presents ellensburg blue agates the 7th talk in his ongoing downtown geology lecture series. Rock hunting for ellensburg blue agates in kittitas county. Ellensburg blue agates are extracted for use as gemstones in. The river has since been renamed and is now known as dirillo river. What good is your selfworth this beautifully, uniquely illustrated book is a lovely one to have to read to children, or enjoy yourself for the creative, colorful artwork. Farmers occasionally turn up the stones while plowing. Agate has many subspecies, which are distinguished by their colors and patterns. A new method powerpoint presentationa few years ago after interviewing unsuccessful agate hunters, the owner of the gitche gumee museum, karen brzys. Agates 12 great agate hunting, agate identification and.
The guidebood features an overview of the states geologic history as well as a site by site guide to seventy five collecting locations that stretch from kodiak. As the name implies, this valuable gem is found only in the area n. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the. Both locals and rock enthusiasts from around the world come to hunt the ellensburg. Local news stories spurred an agatehunting fad among tourists, which continued through the 1940s. These gems were first made famous by tiffany and co. The agate has been used a lot through the centuries because you could find it easily and it exists in a lot of different colors and shapes.
For such a newcomer, it has already established an impressive reputation for its metaphysical properties. The wonder of north american agates online bookstore. Agate is the accepted gemstone for the 12th and 14th wedding anniversaries. The book features an easytouse identification guide and a worldwide listing of where agates are found. This is a unique and gorgeous gem that is incredible beneficial to the wearer and offers aesthetic appeal that you are looking for in jewelry. Agate publishing, and its founder doug seibold, have been singled out among various chicago publications as emblematic of the citys burgeoning independent publishing scene. According to forbes, ellensburg blues are the third rarest precious gem in. Who really books in chicago, a list of the fifty most influential people in chicagos literary scene.
In 1992, bob and his wife nancy, whom he taught the art of jewelry making, acquired agate city rock shop, a family business founded by nancys grandfather, art rafn, in 1962. Both locals and rock enthusiasts from around the world come to hunt the ellensburg blue agate stone here. Rock and gem this book has been very well received as the first popular guide to these brilliantly banded and highly prized gemstones. Winner of the 2014 ninth letter award in creative nonfiction and the 2015 john burroughs nature essay award. Also referred to as e blue, the ellensburg blue agates are the third rarest gemstones in. Lake superior agates books about skip an atom and tiny agates. Rock hounding and rock hunting in ellensburg, wa and kittitas. The blues as they are called are very highly valued and certainly worth the effort to find. Their name is the result of a misconception of their possible crystal structures that was coined 75 years ago. New book on kentucky agate from kgs geologist and agate. Ellensburg lends its name to an unusual type of blue agate. The illustrations bring the eyes to the animals while the text tells the readerlistener about agate s friends different traits. You can find the ellensburg blue agate a\on red top mountain.
Read, highlight, and take notes, across web, tablet, and phone. Ellensburg agate and bead shop sign, ellensburg, october 2003. Rockhounds know that kittitas county is the only place on earth youll find the ellensburg blue agate. You might even try their chamber of commerce or historical society if one exists. The presentation is simply excellent and exemplifies the multitude of. The most highly prized forms of agate are sard, cornelian, chrysoprase and jasper. Ellensburg blue agates most every rockhound has heard of the ellensburg blue. Many of the beds are cultivated, making agate hunting nearly impossible. When the kittitas indians shared their discovery of blue agate, it was so. Clouds, streaks, or bands may occur in the agate and graduates from nearly. The best time for hunting ellensburg blue agates is in early summer, as frost weathering during winter pushes new stones toward the surface. Our retail store in ellensburg is now closed as we focus on creating jewelry for sale on our website and etsy store.
You will find it in jewelry as well as in architecture stained glass, and. Included is a little information on saddle mountain also. The probable explanation of their formation is revealed for the first time with help from two notable experts in the fields of agate formation and. Ellensburg, wa us uploaded by scott webmaster uploaded on tuesday, september 1, 2009 at 06. Brzys, who owns and curates the gitche gumee agate and history museum in grand marais, michigan, begins by defining quartz itself and emphasizing the differences. Try your luck at the rock n tomahawk ranch 2590 upper green canyon rd. This place is well known for agates and potentially contains that all elusive ellensburg blue. We got interested in agates this past august while in the upper peninsula of michigan where the lucky rock hound will sometimes encounter a specimen of lake superior agate. A guide to 75 of the states best rockhounding sites this book is a musthave for collecting rocks, minerals, and fossils in the last frontier.
Teanaway basalt is the reddishcolored basalt dating from the eocene epoch 50 million years ago of geologic history. Rock hounding and rock hunting in ellensburg, wa and. Dec 23, 2005 ellensburg lends its name to an unusual type of blue agate. You can shop one of a kind ellensburg blue jewelry here on our website, now with online checkout, or on our etsy page here or click the photo below. Aug 23, 2012 1 madagascar agate 2 asia agate 3 moss agate 4 india black skin 5 plume agate 6 blue lace agate 7 banded agate 8 plume agate 9 montana agate 10 red agate 11 crazy lace agate 12 crazy lace agate argentina agate 14 montana agate 15 dry head agate 16 mexican lace agate 17 laguna agate 18 banded agate 19.
Surrey books, founded in 1983 and acquired by agate in 2006, which is focused on food, nutrition. Greek agate is a name given to pale white to tan colored agate found in sicily back in 400 bc. Heres her importance to the story in the lord of the rings books. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Her books, dvds, speeches, and now this online virtual class teach her new method of agate hunting. The ellensburg blue is one of the rarest gems in the world. Brazilian agate is found as sizable geodes of layered nodules. Collecting agates and jaspers of north america by patti polk. Rockhounds sniff out treasured ellensburg agates the.
Its only found in the northwest corner of the kittitas valley. A new method powerpoint presentationa few years ago after interviewing unsuccessful agate hunters, the owner of the gitche gumee museum, karen brzys, developed a new method of agate hunting. Agate, common semiprecious silica mineral, a variety of chalcedony that occurs in bands of varying colour and transparency. Also referred to as eblue, the ellensburg blue agates are the third rarest gemstones in. What good is a moose joy morgan dey, nikki johnson. It includes information such as collecting locations that ive visited or that ive researched, and also information from other rockhounds.
It was carried to this location and deposited by a glassier making the true deposit a mystery. Blue lace agate stone, discover the blue lace agate. Author of collecting rocks, gems and minerals, polk has been collecting, cutting and polishing rocks for jewelry and display for more than 20 years. Ellensburg blue agates range in color from light sky blue to almost purple royal blue. State rock and mineral treasure of the commonwealth, will help people learn more about agate and appreciate its natural beauty.
The book is a story about how his friends teach him that his true value is not on the outside but comes from within. Ellensburg blue agates and where to look with images. Recorded at hal holmes center on may 15, 20 in ellensburg, washington, usa. The agate family name was found in the usa, the uk, canada, and scotland between 1840 and 1920. Agate facts, information and description see agate jewelry. Agate publishing is an independent small press book publisher based in evanston, illinois. I have lots of moose music and develop my playlist based on the sensory needs of the kids in the class. Ellensburg blue agates are extracted for use as gemstones.
Elusive ellensburg blue agates still being found in the. Rockhounds sniff out treasured ellensburg agates the seattle times. Highly sought after, ellensburg blue agates are unique to the northwest corner of the lower kittitas valley. It is also the birth stone for the zodiac sign of gemini see the birthstone list for other references to agate. Other benefits include helping with strep throat, thyroid issues and strengthening your bones. The owners here will give you a brief orientation about finding ellensburg blue and then set you loose on their 160acre spread to see what you can find. Agate nodules come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and degrees of translucence. I myself have never found a blue but i am sure there are still some out there. See all books authored by agate nesaule, including a woman in amber. And in terms of its comprehensive content, readability, organization, and superb color photography, karen a. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. If a small cave is left at the center, then your agate is in fact a geode, a word that means earthy, though those glittering innards may seem more like ice or air.
Elusive ellensburg blue agates still being found in the hills news. Healing the trauma of war and exile, and in love with jerzy kosinski, and more on. Ellensburg blue agate is considered a precious gem due to its singular qualities and limited quantities. Since the shops revitalization, bob has made a name for himself as a highly acclaimed agate polisher and as an expert resource for curious collectors seeking advice. The ellensburg blue agate is the third rarest stone in the. Its only found in the northwest corner of the kittitas valley near ellensburg, washington.
The company, incorporated in 2002 with its first book published in 2003, was founded by current president doug. The presentation is simply excellent and exemplifies the multitude of variations in color and pattern which make agate a true prized possession. You will find it in jewelry as well as in architecture stained glass, and in the production of vases which was quite common during the european royalty and the renaissance period. Local news stories spurred an agate hunting fad among tourists, which continued through the 1940s. Agate simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Agate was first discovered around the 3rd or 4th century bc by a greek philosopher who named the stone after the river in which it was found. This website is dedicated to the amateur rockhound who is interested in finding rock specimens for their collection. Ellensburgians are totally passionate over this stone and.
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