Rockhounding Oregon...

We just had the privilege of a sneak preview to enjoy the mock cover of the much awaited 2014 release of the NEW Falcon Guide - Rockhounding Oregon by Lars Johnson. Congrats to Lars!  Looks good and we look forward to sharing this book with all of our fans out there.

This should work nicely with our two pocket guides Agates of the Oregon Coast and Oregon Under Foot to assist you on the gem trails of Oregon, for beachcombing, to hard rock mining in Central Oregon and Eastern Oregon as a guide to the State's Best Rockhounding Sites.   

Another bag full of goodies

We are now enjoying the rewards of the minus tides of spring here at the coast. Here is a photo of just a few of the treasures David of Salem found here in the Newport area beach combing with his family.

Editors Note: Upper left photo- possibly a blue agate, upper right possibly a lavender agate but all are beautiful pieces.

The agate hunt is on!

Just in "It was FABULOUS this weekend. I made it to the beach Saturday afternoon low tide and the sand was negligible. There were actually big rocks, not just pea gravel, and it was a great day. Lots of petrified wood, bigger agates than usual, plenty of red jasper, and a fair amount of green jasper, too. Plus assorted oddball stuff." Garret - Author of Gem trails of Oregon

Attatched photo is of Jim & Kathy's beachcoming efforts from November 11. Nice sized agates with a banded one in the upper left corner, the smallest one is an agatized clam bellie.

Ernest Block, Also An Early Agate Hunter!

A couple of weeks ago an entire week here in Newport, Oregon was a celebration of Ernest Block, the composer who also was a photographer, an agate and a mushroom hunter. He lived here in Agate Beach from 1941 until his death from cancer in 1959.

According to his grandson Ernie, "He would go down to the beach hunting for agates, then he would polish the agates that he found on the beach, one at a time. Bloch apparently believed in a theory that keeping the hands busy allowed musical ideas to germinate and mature."

It must have worked. He wrote about one-quarter of his works at Agate Beach, including by some accounts some of his best pieces, such as the Jewish-themed Suite Hébraïque in 1950 and the second Concerto Grosso in 1952.

Bloch relished the beach. He used to read Walt Whitman there. Which is why, on the Ernest Bloch Memorial at the Newport Performing Arts Center are lines from Whitman saying, "Give me solitude, give me Nature ... "

Agate Hunting at Roads End in Lincoln City, Oregon

Enjoy 4 minutes of beachcombing at the surf line and around the cove during the low tide for agates on the beach at roads end with Jafravh. Her bonus footage will also include close up views of the tide pools, home to a variety of colorful sea stars and sea anemones which are groups of water dwelling, animals of the intertidal area plus a spectacular close-up of our national symbol the Bald Eagle perched on a rock out crop at the Oregon Coast!

FOSSILIZED CRAB FOUND LOCALLY

Lucky beachcomber Frank of Toledo just picked up what appeared to be just another piece of jasper and found this complete fossilized crab on the backside of the cobble while kicking around at the beach. Nice find Frank!

Nice Pyritized Fossil Sea Shells Found at Newport!

These fossil shells with secondary pyrite crystals were two specimens that lucky resident Lisa found just north of Newport. The marine fossil mollusks of this area are generally about 15-20 million years old.

Editors note: Photo is about double the size of the actual specimen.

BEAUTIFUL CARNELIAN AGATE!

This beauty was found by lucky beachcomber Barbara G. in April. It weighs ½ pound and is shown here in it's polished splendor illuminated by a light from below to highlight it's beauty from within.

Strange Petrified Teredo Wood Specimen

This piece found by Ronnie the "Rockhunter" of Newport measures 6" x 2½" and is a most unsual specimen. The areas that appear to have been sawed are the actual damage done by the Teredo mollusk to this piece of wood.

Jasp-Agate found at Newport

This large cobble of Jasp-Agate was found June 17th, weighing in at 4.65 pounds and measured 5" x 7" was found by Judy K of Victoria B.C. Nice find Judy!

Oregon Coast Agate Found

Another beautiful large agate weighing 1.55 pounds was found at Newport in May, by local resident Glenda.

Petrified wood found beachcombing at Newport, Oregon

This was another extreamly large piece (weighing in at maybe 10 plus pounds) of petrified wood just found here in Newport by Arnie, another lucky guest. This piece has an oval shape centerally located of druzy quartz crystals, and the end above the teeth of the garden fork appears to be well agatized displaying the wonderful grain paterns in colorful banding of bluish-black, grey and white agate.

Fossil shark's tooth found at the beach in Newport, Oregon!

This fossilized shark's tooth was recently found on the beach by lucky Lincoln county guest, Sue P. in north Newport. This is the largest sharks tooth that we have personally seen from this area (large ones like this are generally found on the east coast). The tooth in it's entirity must have been at least 4" overall in total size.

An uncommon Jasp-agate found beachcombing at Newport!

Spectacular winter storms this year have been responsible for a variety of changes to the Oregon coastline. Since the storm removal of tons of sand this has uncoverd and exposed more rocks, agates, fossils, and glass fishing floats than many of our previous winters. Guest Dale M. recently found this spectacular specimen of Jasp-Agate which has the look of a breaciated jasper (considering all of the fragmented jasper pieces randomly spread throughout) on the beach just north of Newport, at the Oregon Coast. (This specimen was photographed wet).

A wonderful specimen of Crepidula praerupta

Crepidula praerupta (Conrad) fossils of a flat shell commonly preserved together in groups as seen here. Found in the past by Newport resident E. J.

Nautilus fossil found at South Beach in Newport, Oregon

A beautiful fossilized specimen of an Aturia angustata (Conrad) of which is the extinct species that is compared with the present day Nautilus pompilus. The photos shows the interior cavity lined of druzy quartz crystals, while the exterior shell still shows the well detailed growth chamber by chamber. Found locally by Brent, a Lincoln county beachcomber.

April was a very busy month here at the beach!

This winter the storms scoured the beaches down so far that ancient forest tree trunks and shipwrecks that had been buried for 200+ years or so were exposed. This brought so many visitors to the coast, that on some days there were as many as 150 people at a time on the local beaches.

Photo above shows a small but unique 2" piece of petrified wood limb cast with small worm holes, as found in by Newport resident Larry Thompson. This was just one of the many beautiful pieces that we had seen from the many people beachcoming in April.

Moss Agate recently found!

Handsome five pound, 6 inch Jasp-Agate, with veining of green moss found, at the beach in south Lincoln Co., Oregon. Exterior of gold jasper showing veins of agate, cut open displaying moss agate interior.

Trophy Sized Petrified Wood Found!

Beachcomber Thiago G. of Lincoln City, proudly holding the large 15 pound Myrtle Wood boulder he reciently found on the beach, in Lincoln County, Oregon.

More beautiful Oregon Agate found!

Kevin's February 2008 Agate find!