Friday, December 28, 2012

Spectacular Large Agates Found on the Oregon Coast!

Nice finds by Steve and Lisa.
Yesterday we had a couple of beachcombing guest bringing in their trophy finds. These spectacular large agates were found on the Central Oregon Coast by 2 lucky Lincoln Co. residents.  Lisa of Newport found the top sard agate measuring 8" and weighing in at over 11 pounds. Steve of north county found the lower two little beauties  of fancy agate weighing in at almost ½ lb. and the larger one over 1¼ pounds. Congratulations to both of you on your spectacular large finds.

Monday, December 24, 2012

Japanese Glass Floats found at Newport

Those westerly winds last week have blessed our beaches with some of the old Japanese glass floats!  Two of our lucky guest found a couple of them last week.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Minus Tides for Beachcombing during Winter Break

Slogan and logo by the Oregon State Parks
Lots of reports of gravel showing intermittently within the 6 hour tide cycle changing around the Newport area both north and south of town! We will be experiencing minus tides in the afternoons starting on the 26th, just be remember to be careful out there. Here is the link for our local December tides: http://hmsc.oregonstate.edu/weather/tides/2012/sbdec2012.html

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

How to buy a Rock Tumbler for the holidays...

< - - Consider carefully a more useful size rock  tumbler for medium sized loads or larger material up to 2¼" (size of a golf ball). Lortone's single 4½lb. barrel features a 10-sided interior surface (measuring 5¾" by 3½" deep) for optimum tumbling action and a capacity for 5 cups of rocks.

Here on the Oregon Coast beach combers will find many small stones but you can also find a selection of agates, jaspers and petrified wood in larger sizes. Don't let yourself be sucked in by an attractive low price on a rock tumbler only to find you are limited to polishing stones the size of a quarter and smaller.   

Friday, November 23, 2012

Blue Black Beach Agates From the Oregon Coast!

Photo taken of dry blue/black beach agates.
Uh oh the boss is cleaning out the warehouse again!  Just uncovering a large stash from an old collection we bought years ago of nice natural blueblack beach agate specimens perfect for tumbling!    These are small enough and naturally surf tumbled by the sea, gem quality agates that should make great gemstones for your jewelry or crafts. 

Packaged in 2 quart containers containing just the right size agates for any tumbler to polish and enhance their natural beauty.  These will be sold for $89.00 a container, well under the going price of over $120+ a container (when you can get them) and will have a special recipe enclosed on how to tumble polish them in just 10 days in a rotary tumbler*Buy 2 containers and they will ship free by USPS flat rate any where within the 50 states.

Overstock Blowout SALE...Shop early and SAVE! We would normally offer this exquisite quality by the pound but due to lack of space we are offering these in 2 quart lots, while they last. Quantities are limited to available stock on hand once they are gone that's it! In Stock and ships immediately. Shipping weight  8 lbs. Buy it NOW and SAVE!  Just $89.00 for each 2 quart container.  

*anywhere in the U.S. or  APO as one  shipment or domestic parcel to one address for the free freight offer,

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Yachats church with beautiful agate windows!

Photo by Cheryl Waide
“The Yachats Community Presbyterian Church presents, A Celebration of Carols on Sunday, December 16 at 4:00 PM. This festive holiday program features the Chancel Choir and Handbells in a celebration of the Christmas season through holiday readings and music. For additional information, contact the church office at 541-547-3400.” 

Unpolished beach agates are embedded in resin sheets to make up these windows.  To see more photos, check out Nancy Lynne Photography on these most interesting Agate Windows.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

2013 Agate Calendars are now available!

It's calendar season again, and this year we have  not just one but two wall calendar designs by Patrick a local beach comber and excellent photographer  whose camera has captured the beauty of these agates well in these presented images. "Agates and Jasper of the Oregon Coast", and "The Agate Hunter Blues". 

Available from FACETS Gem & Mineral Gallery in Newport, OR.  Just $14.95 each.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Rock tumblers to polish your agates

FACETS in Newport, Oregon offers something everyone from the rock hound to the jewelry maker, collector and craftsman alike. Jewelry and lapidary supplies, equipment plus rock tumblers from 3 pounds to 65 pounds on their web  site.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Fossilized Nautilus Found at Newport...

Sorry I don't have the finders name to give credit

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Craig's unique beachcombing find...

Craig, a Yachats Beachcomber found this unique stone.
At first glance this one pound specimen looks like a  root-base of a sea weed clump.  The strange outer surface features a bubbly sard or carnelian agate area protruding through a thin skin.  There is also a small area of green agate present.

Nice find Craig!

Large Agate just found!

Cheryl's trophy agates
The discover season brought beachcomber Cheryl of Pinehurst, Idaho in yesterday to share this 4" agate with us weighing over 1 pound.  The smaller black agate is also a very nice sized find.

Thank you again Cheryl, for the heads up on the notice of the book Agates: Treasures of the Earth, By Roger Pabian.  I agree this is a great book is for agates of Lake Superior, or Brazilian agates but fails to impart the info you need for the Agates of the Oregon Coast.  I just found the misleading website tonight that is representing Brazilian agates and this book for Oregon Agates. 

Congratulations Cheryl, these are both very memorable trophy's to take home to Idaho.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Agate Polished to Reveal Flower Images Within It!

Here are the finished pieces made into pendants.
Kelly & Jerry of  Gleneden Beach, Oregon were in to get their tumbling grit yesterday.  They found this sard agate last winter and polished it to find it exhibits a lovely double  floral pattern within.  That was a beautiful job of polishing this agate folks.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Kansas beachcombers find agates on the Oregon Coast

Agates found this last week by Bob & Toni
This was just a small selection of rocks found by our cousins.  More photos to follow.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Another Perfect Agatized Nautilus found while beachcombing at Newport

James found this complete Fossilized Nautilus
This piece is perfectly agatized in that you can even see the chambers of the nautilus through the nacre of the shell.  This young man James of Salem Oregon, has quit the eye for finding beautiful fossils here on the Oregon Coast.

Clarice's black agate

Fortification Agate
Clarice found this unique Alaskan totem art face design in a black fortification agate the size of a quarter, while agate hunting here at the Oregon Coast.  Nice find Clarice!

Agates found this week...

Doreen's trophies
Beachcomber Doreen of Roseburg, Oregon found these beauties Friday while visiting here on Oregon's central Coast.  Nice collection, with the two largest ones at the top being about 3-4" and would weigh approximately ¼ - ½ of a pound each.

Friday, August 10, 2012

James Black Agate found at Newport

Just polished to highlight its natural beauty


Beautiful 3" black agate found here in Newport weighing in at ½ lb. 

















Monday, July 23, 2012

Beautiful Oregon Agates...

Handcrafted wire wrap pendants
Handcrafted agate jewelry, wire wrapped and designed by FACETS Gem & Mineral Gallery in Newport, Oregon.  Beautiful agate earrings as well as pendants are also available.

Not your usual jewelry store, FACETS established in 1987 does fine jewelry repair of 14K gold, sterling silver, bead design and repair.  FACETS also buys scrap gold and silver daily.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Moolack Beach at Newport

A Steve Power's photo
Summer vacation time has arrived in Newport as seen in this picturesque  photo of Moolack Beach.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Discovering tsunami debris on the Oregon coast...

When you are out beach combing...Please remember to Call 211 for anything questionable nature such as barrels or containers of liquids that may pose a health risk to you or anyone else on the beach.  Please don't try to remove it yourself.

"The hotline will allow the public to help keep Oregon's beaches clean and return any missing Japanese property to its rightful owners, the governor said.  He also said Brig. Gen. Mike Caldwell, deputy director of the Oregon National Guard and interim director of the state's Office of Emergency Management, will be responsible for coordinating the response and cleanup efforts among state agencies.

It's important to quickly collect and throw away tsunami debris to keep beaches clean and prevent the introduction of invasive species, Caldwell said. Officials are asking that people not take home debris to keep as souvenirs, but they say there's little chance of the debris being harmful to human health.

People should be especially mindful of items that might have sentimental value or personal significance to someone in Japan, officials said. When such items wash up, Oregon will work with the Japanese consulate to return them.

Helping with tsunami debris is a new responsibility for the 211 hotline, which was created in 2004 to help people in the Portland area get connected with health and community services. It's since expanded to cover 80 percent of Oregon's population, according to the website of the nonprofit organization that operates it.

Oregon will work with California, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii to request money from the federal government to help with their efforts. If the debris had washed up all at once, it would unquestionably qualify for federal disaster funds, Kitzhaber said. But since it's emerging in pieces, the states will have to work harder, he said."

© Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Perfect Agatized Nautilus found while beachcombing in Newport

Found during a minus tide by Marcy of Newport

Is it a fulgurite?

Doreen of Roseburg, Oregon  found these interesting pieces June 18, while agate hunting on the Oregon coast.  The long sandy piece looks like either a fulgurite, meaning thunderbolt formed in sand.  If not maybe it could possibly be an Indian artifact as it has a hollow area on the small end for an arrow? The two specimens above are a couple of very interesting agates. The smallest one is an agatized snail.

Jane's trophies for the week!

¼ - ¾ pound agates
Congratulations to Jane, a local resident on these outstanding beach combing finds. The amber color agate at the top is a sard agate and weighed in at ¾ of a pound. The blue/blacks are excellent sized specimens for this late in the season. 

Monday, May 28, 2012

Saturday evenings best at Newport!

Fancy gray/black agate with lines of fortification
Yielded a beautiful fortification Agate

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Treasures found at Newport during a family reunion

Beachcombing treasures found by Kaiya & Anna
Congratulations to Kaiya of Utah of whom found the large agate weighing over ¼ of a pound and her cousin Anna of Ohio that found the fancy agate and the red jasper today on the beach at Newport.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Agates just found May 19, 2012

Viki of Newport just found these spectacular agates Saturday
Beautiful fancy agates the large one weighing just under ¼lb. is a fancy sard agate the smaller one is a black agate with a spectacular pattern embossed into the stone was found Saturday.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Agate found just yesterday!

Sandy's trophy agate for yesterday weighs just under 1 pound!

Jane showed me two beautiful agates last night that she had just found on the beach, I will try and get photos of those to share with you when she gets back in.  Sandy found the rest of these pretty agates and 2 pieces of sea glass Saturday while beachcombing on the Oregon Coast.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Agate Geode found on the Oregon Coast

Lucky beachcomber Vicki of Newport found this ¾ pound geode that  is 2¾" long.

5 Pound Agate Found on the Oregon Coast

Our buddy Rascal of Tillamook Oregon, found this 5 pound agate recently on the north coast.  The outside was a typical gray agate with some basalt but when cut open it exposed some exceptional color for an Oregon coast agate and was just as nice as some of the best Brazilian Agate.

Nice find Roscoe!
Lower view exposes the exceptional banding hidden within.

Agates are rock'n the coast at Newport!

6 Treasures found in just 10 minutes!
Lucky beachcomber and local resident  Scott brought in 1 jasper and 5 agates  Friday to share with you.  Sorry I was not able to back lite these beauties for you to really enjoy their true translucency and colors.

Did you get to enjoy our beautiful weather this weekend?  Couldn't ask for anything better as it was better than summer, being in the 60 degree range and no wind!

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Trophies found on Oregon's Central Coast

Treasures found by 4 beachcombers
After many seasonal storms last Saturday we noticed the beaches were scrubbed down to the bed rock leaving gravel showing from Newport to  Taft in Lincoln City.  These are just a few of the beauties that have been found here in the area.  I will put more up as time permits.  #1. Fortification Agate found by Steve of Lincoln County, 2. Fancy Jasper found by beachcomber Terry of Gleneden Beach. #3 is a fancy jasp-agate weighing over 2 pounds  and #4. is a possible blue agate weighing ¾ pound found by our Oregon Fossil Guy last week. #5. are two views of a  massive grouping of Crepidula, fornicata.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Yachats Agate Festival this weekend...

Fortification Agate found by Steve of Lincoln Co.


Sorry I could not make it to the Agate Festival this Saturday and Sunday.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Fortification Agate Found

Lucky beachcomber Scott found this little beauty!

Friday, January 13, 2012

Man finds 48-pound agate

Photo Buck Henderson by Larry Coonrod


We have been waiting to see this agate, it is now featured in the Newport News Times. Buck Henderson is pictured with some of the agates he’s collected near Yachats. He found the large rough agate on the right in December. It weighs 48 pounds. The stone on the left is a 15-pound black agate. Both will be on display at the Yachats Agate Festival Jan. 21-22.


Editorial notes:
Posted: Friday, Jan 13th, 2012
BY: Larry Coonrod
For the complete article see the Newport News Times 01-13-2012 issue.