![]() ![]() It’s still a great place to see massive formations. Unfortunately, there is no collection allowed from the site so it’s of passing interest to many rockhounds. The most famous location is, of course, the Gingko Petrified Forest State Park. Most of the wood has retained it’s wooden color, but in some places you can dig out opalized wood that has many different hues. The state gem of Washington is petrified wood, and it can be found in quite a few locations across the state. The most famous location to find jade in Washington is Whidby Island, which we’ll cover below. There are rumors of sources deep in the Washington wilderness, but harsh weather and forbidding terrain have made exploration hard.įor that reason, most jade is found in riverbeds and along certain beaches. Unfortunately, jade is rarer than the agates that litter Washington beaches. If you’ve encountered grape agate in the past then you’ve seen a botryoidal stone, and the nephrite jade here sometimes forms into similar formations. The real treat is the fact that Washington is one of the few places in the world where you can find botryoidal jade.īotryoidal jade is a formation where the surface appears to be made of bubbles. ![]() Washington Jade comes in tones ranging from blue to green for the most part, but some varieties have inclusions of different colors. The jade in Washington is nephrite jade, differing from the jadeite jade that many people think of when the stone comes to mind. Jade is another stone frequently found on the Pacific Coast, and Washington has it in quite a few places. It may sound a bit confusing but the truth is simple: Washington State has some great rocks lying along the coast if you love the color red. Jasper is an opaque, patterned form of cryptocrystalline quartz that occurs alongside agate frequently. These are actually classified as carnelian, while the patterned stones are often called carnelian agates.Ĭonfusing the matter, you can also find red orbicular jasper in the same places. ![]() Some pieces of red chalcedony wash up with no patterns at all, just great color. Like all chalcedony, classification is hard. When the water disturbs the stones underneath the surface it often dregs up dense stones that have been covered for some time. New pieces may wash up after storms as well. The agate on the beaches occurs offshore, so your best bet is to find gravel beds that aren’t constantly picked over. It’s beautiful stuff, even if it’s not quite on par with Morrocan Seam Agate.įor picky collectors, these beach agates are a lot better to search for than the faintly patterned chalcedony you find in some places. Grey specimens and black patterns also exist. Most of the Washington agates are either red-colored or transparent white with solid white banding. They’re easy to recognize since they don’t wear down quite as much as other stones. Like California, one of the best places to find agates in Washington is in gravel beds along beaches. That said, let’s dig into some of the more common offerings to give you an idea of what to expect in the Evergreen State. That includes silica-based stones like agate and jasper, jade, and even gold. The minerals and rocks spread across the state are pretty diverse but in line with what most of the Pacific Coast offers. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |