Agate Hunting

Written By: Gail Clifford | Published By: Weekend Notes| June 04, 2022

https://www.weekendnotes.com/agate-hunting/

To look at Russ Clark, RN, a critical care nurse at CRMC, you’d think “giant teddy bear” or “gentle giant” or scientist more than agate hunter, yet he’s all of these.

Russ’ fascination with agates is based on his childhood working and playing outdoors. After starting in the family’s live bait business at age 5, he grew such an appreciation for nature that he went to work for the DNR until age 25. His first great agate find occurred when he stepped out of truck at a lake they were surveying. He looked down and spotted a high-quality, large agate. It was worth about $1000. He was hooked.

This semi-precious gemstone is the state gemstone for Minnesota. On our driver’s licenses, in the outline of the shape of the state of Minnesota are holographic agate lines in it in the state

Agate comes from a material with a micro-crystalline structure called Chalcedony. The more desirable forms, though some people disagree, come with little or no quartz, which contains larger, crystal structures. When quartz is present in the agate, it may be in the form of smoky quartz, a yellow-tinted or citrine quartz, or the pretty purple amethyst.

Lines or rings seen in agate rock is unlike the rings of a tree. Russ laughs, “Anything is possible, but it’s commonly accepted that the rings form as they’re laid down over long periods of time and the color depends on the mineral content in the area.”

Several places around the world have agates that are identifiable. One of the most common characteristics of Lake Superior agates, found in the Brainerd Lakes area, east, west and south, are the red and white colors. The red color comes from the iron content where they were formed. Lake Superior agates can vary. You may also find them in green, blue or white.

This development of agate is specific to the North Shore of Lake Superior. It is commonly accepted, according to Russ, that they “originated from lava that cooled and left air bubbles. These cavities later filled with minerals carried there by water that ran through it. They were scraped out of the cooled lava (basalt) over millions of years by glaciers going back and forth, spread around, north to south as the glaciers moved.”

Agates are most commonly found in glacial till, commonly known as gravel. Russ spends an average of 4 hours a week looking for agates, usually with his wife and kids, age 3 and 8.

“I usually find 1 to 3 pounds of agates and maybe one good, high quality agate during this time.” Sounds like a good return for a side hustle that gets you out in nature with your family.

How much, approximately, is it worth? Russ shares, “People who have been buying and selling for a long time will look at a batch and tell you how much it’s worth. Maybe $100 per pound.”

The agate’s value depends on the size and quality. Larger agates of medium to high quality are worth more. “Agate hunters seek agates that are more than a pound in size. They may go years without finding them.”

Russ was kind enough to share some of his smaller agates with me to start my collection. One, in particular, caught my attention. The “waxy luster” he calls it. One of our co-workers, Jackie, shared two of her agates. One reminded me of the painted tip of an arrow.

“We share our agates,” Jackie said.

Would you go looking in town?
“There are agates underneath us, for sure.” Russ declares.

Russ’ tips for agate hunting:
1. Get a map showing agate distribution and go there.
2. Look anywhere that the work to expose the soil has been done for you, like construction areas or farm fields after harvest (safely, of course, when it’s open to the public or the owner accepts your request to enter).