California
California Agates Page 2
Included here are examples of agates that I feel are a pretty good cross-section of some of the better varieties of material that can be found in the state of California. The pieces that come from public locations are named, all others are from private locations, some of which I personally discovered. Specimens that are unpolished are shown wet to better show their colors.
Please be sure to know the status of the land you are planning to collect on if you are going out to collect in the field. Be aware if it is BLM, State Land, Forest Service, or someone’s mining claim. Whether you agree with it or not, please respect people’s mining claims and collect somewhere off the claim – there are plenty of areas to collect without having to go on to people’s personal claims.
When collecting in California I tend to focus on finding fortification agate in colors of pink and purple – my most favorite type of agates to collect!
New pictures will be added in no particular order. Hopefully, as the gallery grows, all you crazy agate lovers out there will find my collection as interesting and beautiful as I do. Periodically I will include pieces that aren’t agate or jasper, but are noteworthy enough in their own way to be included here.
Enjoy!
Barstow, Face Polished Slab
3 3/4″ x 2 1/2″ x 1/4″ Chapinite, a brecciated jasp-agate.
Ventura, Face Polished Rough
3″ x 2″ x 2″ This is a terrific piece filled with small orbs similar to Ocean Jasper. A great find by my friend Jason Badgley.
Wiley’s Well, Face Polished Geode
3 1/4″ x 2 5/8″ x 1 1/2″ A very pretty geode with multiple types of inclusions.
Mojave, Unpolished Nodule Half
3 1/4″ x 2″ x 3″ This is an awesome, large sagenite nodule I collected over 20 years ago when you could still find material like this. It was about 6″ long before I cut it.
San Jose, Unpolished Slab
4 3/4″ x 3″ x 1/4″ A nice piece of old stock Guadalupe poppy jasper.
Horse Canyon, Unpolished Slab
3 1/2″ x 2 1/4″ x 1/4″ Old stock plume & moss agate from a closed location.
Malibu, Unpolished Slab
3 1/2″ x 3 1/4″ x 1/4″ Beautiful metallic plume marcasite in agate from a singular small deposit.
Sheep Springs, Rough Chunk
3″ x 2 1/4″ x 1 1/2″ Cool black dendrites in white/pale blue agate. I probably collected this 25 years ago so I have no idea what the status of this area is now.
Pope Canyon, Unpolished Slab
4 1/2″ x 3 5/8″ x 1/4″ An extremely rare piece of orbicular jasper from a very old collecting site.
Mojave, Face Polished Slab
4″ x 2 1/2″ x 1/4″ A plume/flame agate that looks like a forest.
Mojave, Unpolished Endcut
4 1/4″ x 2 3/4″ x 2 1/2″ Beautiful flame agate collected many years ago.
Needles, Face Polished Slab
5 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ x 1/4″ Blue chalcedony in matrix. This material requires hard rock mining.
Needles, Rough
3 1/4″ x 2″ x 2″ Blue/green chalcedony in matrix. This material requires hard rock mining.
Kanan, Face Polished Rough
2 3/4″ x 1 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ Translucent fortification agate with small dendrites. A gift from my good rockhound buddy Jason Badgley.
Palo Verde, Unpolished Slab
4 7/8″ x 3″ x 1/4″ This is a seam agate from the famous old Paisley Agate location, closed for many years.
Pope Canyon, Tumble Polished Slab
2 1/4″ x 2 1/8″ x 1/4″ An extremely rare piece of orbicular jasper from a very old collecting site.
Lavic, Unpolished Slab
6″ x 3 3/4″ x 1/4″ This is a large slab filled with multiple inclusions that was collected probably 40 years ago by my dear friend Doris Banks.
Bullion Mtns., Unpolished Slab
4″ x 3 3/4″ x 1/4″ This piece has beautiful bright green, yellow, & red plumes in agate from an old closed location. This material was dug in the 1940’s.
Eagle Crags, Rough
41/2″ x 3 3/4″ x 2 1/4″ This is a rare piece of blue fortification agate in a reddish-brown matrix from an old closed location.
Calico, Face Polished Slab
4 1/4″ x 2″ x 1/4″ Sagenite agate with other inclusions from a rare location that was excavated many decades ago.
Horse Canyon, Unpolished Slab
4 3/4″ x 2 3/4″ x 1/4″ A unique piece of old stock green plume, moss, and waterline agate from an old, closed location.
Mojave, Polished Specimen
2″ x 1 1/4″ x 1″ This is an awesome little nodule that I found, cut, and polished that has incredible bands with a checked appearance, plus the colors are great!
Mojave, Unpolished Endcut
3 1/4″ x 3″ x 3/4″ This endcut is an interesting mix of multiple colors and patterns.
Mojave, Rough Chunk
2 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ x 1 1/4″ This is a beautiful piece of luscious blue chalcedony that my dear late friend Doris Banks collected and gifted me many years ago and I don’t have the heart to cut it.
Mojave, Unpolished Slab
4 1/4″ x 2 3/4″ x 1/4″ This is an unusual slab in shades of pink, lavender, cream, and salmon that is very similar in look to Dryhead agate patterns & colors.
Barstow, Unpolished Slab
4″ x 2 3/4″ x 1/4″ Another slab of Paul Bunyon tube agate. As far as I know, this area is under claim.
Mojave, Unpolished Slab
3″ x 1 1/4″ x 1/4″ This is a really cool little slab that is filled with spherules & snowflakes in a background of lavender & grey.