August - Agate Treasures

Beachcombers Melissa & Randee of Eugene found these rather large trophies of 4" while vacationing here on the Oregon Coast: the white agate below weighed in at 1¼ pounds, the carnelian/sard agate with the crystalline center weighed 1 pound.

Nice finds!

What is this fossil?

This fossil was found earlier this year in the area, by Newport resident Danny. It is 5½" long, and the lower image shows the side view nicely but what is it?

Danny also found some nice agates too!

Beautiful Black Agate Ring

Spike of Seal Rock found this beautiful black agate earlier this year while agate hunting here on the Oregon Coast. The ring was created for him by FACETS Gem & Mineral Gallery of Newport. The ring was fabricated of Sterling Silver for him to give his lady Monica. We wish Monica many years of enjoyment from her new ring.

Spike was very pleased as the design allows the wearer to appreciate stone from the top or by the bottom through the open wire work design beneath the stone.

Agatized Marine Gastropods

Would you have recognized the white specimen as being an agatized snail? Many folks do not look before tossing their finds into the rock polisher.

The top specimen was found by Frank and the white one was found by Scott both are beachcomber residents of Agate Beach.

Fossil...

This fossil was found on Oregon's central coast. A. shows the side view to be about 5" long. The rear is 3" wide, with some really usual suture like or worm tracks. The rear view shows rarely seen turbinate bones that were preserved within the  fossilized in the skull of a small porpoise or dolphin. Identified by Dr. William Orr 2-12-11.

Ted's 4" Oregon Agate Crafted into a Night Light

47th Gem & Mineral Show in Newport

Yesterday we went out for the minus tides and found the gravel beds are still presenting a treasure trove of agates, jasper and more for us beachcombers. Came home and wrapped the 3 agate pendants in this photo that just came out of our tumbler collected just a few weeks ago.

Father’s Day weekend rock hunters, agate lovers and fossil collectors are coming together for the annual Oregon Coast Agate Club’s 47th Gem & Mineral Show here in Newport at the Yaquina View Elementary School -Multipurpose Room - 351 SE Harney Street. The show will be open Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is only $2 for adults, $1 for youth, with children under 6 years of age free.

Most striking Lavender Blue Agate

Over the years we have seen some agates from here on the coast resembling lavender-blue to a point but this one has them all beat. This just happens to be of the finest color wise comparable only to some of the best Holley Blue agate also found here in Oregon. Ken is one lucky dude that gets to spend his lunch hour beachcombing for agates on the Oregon Coast anywhere from Astoria to Brookings.

Spring Storms Bring Treasures to the Oregon Coast

Beachcombers Rusty & Lesia, of Bozeman, Montana were fast on their feet to find this beautiful bright green 12 inch Japanese glass fishing float. They were one of two couples that discovered this rare treasure at the same time.

This float is still complete with the fisherman's net or rope still attached and covered with barnacles to boot. We tried to move the barnacles aside to see if the fisherman's stamped logo was visible but no luck, the barnacles were too tightly entwined.

More and more beach combers are finding these rare beauties daily now with the spring storms we have been experiencing here on the Oregon Coast, but you have to be out there early and be fast on your feet.

Editors Note: The small float image at the lower right just shows another angle of the glass float.

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Pleasures await you by the seashore!

Sorry I had a shipment going out at the time a lady came in with a complete fossilized Nautilus that she had just found here in the Newport area. The nautilus was a little larger than a quarter and in very good condition, still had some matrix rock attached to it, but the iridescent shell was complete and spectacular in color and condition. Unfortunately I had to run and help with the freight, so no photo. Well that's another reason to go beach combing for those unexpected treasures from nature here on the Oregon Coast.

Spring Break things to do list: Spring Whale Watching week on the Oregon Coast starts soon March 20-27, 2010. Spring break will offer an active calendar of events for family fun activities, live entertainment, art festivals concerts, Oregon Coast Fishing and more...

Beachcombing On The Oregon Coast

The agate beds have been shifting here in Lincoln County so much this year. We have been trying to explain this phenomena to our guest but they can't seem to understand it. We had a gentleman in earlier this month and he said "The first day I was here the beach outside my window was littered with gravel and I had a great time finding agates, jasper, fossils, etc. The next morning I looked out my window and it was all gone, nothing but sand!" This is what we mean by the change of the tide (every six hours) and the agate bed may disappear.

Obviously all of those cars parked at the beach during the winter can't be wrong. It does not mean the people are out there sun bathing, it just means the folks are having a great time finding treasures out there on the beach. You too will have to actually get out of the car, stand out there on the beach and look north and south maybe a 100 yards and possibly you will find a new gravel bed littered with agates, jaspers, and fossils.

Remember to - Seek, and Ye Shall Find.

Agatized Shell Found by Beachcombers

Today this beauty was found just south of Newport by lucky guest Ross and his sons of Portland sharing a fun day together on the beach. This has to be one of the most complete agatized specimens we have ever seen of this variety, and showing such great detail as well. This was just one of their finds. They also had a more agates and an agatized limb cast and an other nice agatized marine gastropod (snail-like) shell. Nice finds guys!

Photo is of possibly a Bruclarkia oregonensis. Identification from (Fossil Shells From Western Oregon, page 77)

Editors Note: The photo was illuminated from below to better show the agate.

Beautiful fortification agate found at Newport

Roger and his wife were the lucky beachcombers from Dallas, OR that found this beeeauty Thursday while beachcombing on the Oregon coast just south of Newport. This is a very nice fancy agate: the top view shows the side cavity of fortification pattern (continuous locked banding like in a fort).

Oregon Carnelian Agate at it's very Best!

Frank just found this beauty yesterday here on Oregon's Central Coast. It does not get any better than this. This beauty Pigeon blood RED agate measured 3'' long and weighed in at over 1/4 pound of the purest red you have ever seen.

He also had these other trophy pieces as well but this carnelian is beeeautiful!

I was invited out for a tour with a small group of folks yesterday morning for their TV film shoot of agate hunting at Newport. We were treated to an hour and 1/2 on the beach before the rain started. A good time was had by all finding a multitude of fossils, jasper, a piece of bloodstone, sea glass and agate. This 2 minute shot will appear the first week of February on FOX 12 Oregon Beach Vacations, February segment.

More Treasures Found on the Central Coast...

Tim had quite a good time out beachcombing here on the Oregon coast last week. Translucent green agate to fancy jasper, sardonyx, banded, select fancies, agatized limb cast, fossilized mollusks shells and more... There are two shown as polished that he just took out of the tumbler to share with us.

It is nice to share in our guest treasures they find here on the coast it is like getting to go with them but we stay here warm and dry...

2" Agate Geode Found on the Beach.

2 weeks ago, agate collectors Wes and Shanna of Seal Rock found this spectacular agate geode while beach combing on the Oregon coast. It appears that it might have been an enhydro agate with a thin shell of agate that broke against the extreme force of the Pacific Ocean and our extremely rough and rocky coastline. The crystalline structure is very unusual as the white crystals (possibly calcite or zeolites) are flat and round much like the flat fungus or mushrooms that grow on trees in the forest. As you see by the illuminated shot the quartz crystals are very clear.

Today a hazardous weather advisory has been issued: Expect high winds and periods of heavy rain over the next week as a series of storms will rotate into the central Oregon coast. Please be very careful out there on the beach, it would be advisable to watch the storm from a high vantage point, a look out or from the safety and warmth of your hotel room over looking the coast line!

Beachcombing trophys found for the New Year!

< - - Jeremiah of Newport, found this beautiful sagenite carnelian agate Saturday beachcombing south of town while hunting for agates with his dad for New Years. It is about the size of the nickel beside it. He also found another beautiful trophy of carnelian (as shown below) weighing in at just under a pound and measuring 4 inches wide.

This is great fun as a family activity when done in pairs for safety sake. His dad also had some treasures as shown in the photo to the right above his large carnelian, the other agates were drying out in the photo but the color and sizes are impressive. The white agate laying on the large carnelian displays a nice white banded design throughout.