News

TexasAmethystAgate Museum, Art Gallery, and Shop: A Video Tour and More!

TexasAmethystAgate Museum, Art Gallery, and Shop: A Video Tour and More!

Watch the tour and then read below for more details on the completion of the new headquarters: The Museum The wall shelves display the best and most diverse specimens I have found on The Carver Agate Field. The shelves are made from local cedar trees I cut on my property and had milled by a neighbor on his ‘bandmill’ sawmill. They are rough but work well! The work and equipment tables are all made from wooden pallets I salvaged from the shop construction project. I added wooden legs with roller wheels on each to allow the easy movement of all the tables. They can be locked in place by brakes on each wheel. The table tops are left over sheathing from the building construction project. The black plastic cabinets and drawers also have wheels and brakes. These contain polished museum specimens that could not fit on the wall shelves. The […]

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Gordon Sanborn: Another rocker friend ‘leaves the building’

Gordon Sanborn: Another rocker friend ‘leaves the building’

My good rocker friend Gordon Sanborn, of The Daily Grind in Alpine, Texas, passed recently.  Gordie was a highly talented lapidist who ground rocks to sell, but mostly because he (like me!) just liked to make rocks shiny!  Gordie, who was from Detroit 70+ years ago, lost interest early on in formal education.  Instead, he explored the world and learned from it.  And learn he did!  He was a true artist with an enormous amount of creativity!  This creativity resulted in Gordie developing skills as diverse as boat building, flint knapping, and lapidary.  He even made his own Australian horn–a didgeridoo.  He has lived the diversity of America, from Detroit to Maine, Colorado, Alaska, and lastly, Texas.  He lived life in these places with an amazing skill-set that allowed him to live with self-sufficiency and personal freedom.  A free spirit who lived life to its fullest . . . on his […]

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In Memory of Bill Halepeska

In Memory of Bill Halepeska

Bill Halepeska, a dear friend, geologist and fellow rock enthusiast, passed with the COVID virus shortly before Christmas. In addition to being a good friend, Bill was my mentor, freely sharing with me his 50+ years of rock hunting experience in West Texas. He made numerous trips to Alpine, Texas, to visit with me and sort out the strange geology which created the amazing diversity of The Carver Agate Field. Most recently, Bill and I co-authored an article entitled “Captivating Find at The Carver Agate Field,” which appeared in the October 2020 issue of Rock & Gem Magazine. Bill was a Christian gentlemen who generously shared himself and his vast knowledge with others. He was a ‘mover and shaker’ in the Midland (Texas) Gem and Mineral Society. He, our good friend Raymond Boswell of Midland, and I were the ‘3 Amigos’ shown visiting together on The Carver Agate Field. Raymond […]

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Rock & Gem Article about The Carver Agate Field Published

Rock & Gem Article about The Carver Agate Field Published

The October Rock & Gem Magazine article entitled “Captivating Find at The Carver Agate Field,” by John L. Carver and Bill Halepeska, has been published. Unfortunately, it was published with significant factual errors which occurred in Rock & Gem editing of the original article submitted. Rock & Gem has agreed to correct the editing errors in an upcoming issue. When the corrections are published by Rock & Gem, TexasAmethystAgate.com will post the article here together with the corrections. In the meantime, the original submission to Rock & Gem has been posted on this site and can be viewed now. Here’s the cover of the October 2020 issue of Rock & Gem and the first pages of the article, to give you a taste of things to come. Cover First Page Second Page

Work continues on TAA World Headquarters

Work continues on TAA World Headquarters

Slow but steady work is continuing on the Texas Amethyst Agate.com World Headquarters.  A month or less until snow season arrives here.  This construction has become a real nail biter!  The most difficult work is complete. However, there is a tremendous amount of detail work to complete the shop.  Dry-in, install heat, and complete work even if the snow flies.  

TexasAmethystAgate World Headquarters Takes Shape

TexasAmethystAgate World Headquarters Takes Shape

The new shop is incorporating a west facing wall which is nearly all glass. This will allow lots of westerly afternoon light and expansive views over the West Penobscot Bay located in mid-coast Maine. The south shop wall has five 3×3 foot windows to maximize morning sunlight. Natural sunlight is great when you are cutting and polishing stones, or undertaking fine silver- smithing activities. Lots of windows also help with the short Maine winter days which have, at best, dim diffuse sunlight even on the clearest of days. The shop takes shape The shop’s interior will be sheathed in white pine boards which are locally sourced. Heating, cooling, and humidity control are done by an environmentally sensitive heat pump. For backup when the electric fails, there is a wood stove which I ‘feed’ with dead and dying trees which I cut from the property. It sure is not West Texas, […]

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NEW Article in Rock and Gem Magazine, August 2018

NEW Article in Rock and Gem Magazine, August 2018

As promised, here is the article, just published in the August 2018 edition of Rock and Gem Magazine, entitled “The Unicorn Scepter and Yellow Agates.” Click on the magazine scans below to check it out!

New Website Gallery Formats

New Website Gallery Formats

You have probably noticed a variety of gallery formats as you browse the website. The experimentation process is over now and a final format has been implemented throughout the galleries. The format is a simple one. All of the pictures are loaded on a single page of the gallery. Click one image and the big slideshow will open. From there, scroll through to view all of the images. Click the “View full size” link to see the larger version of a specific image, which can be expanded even further using the Maximize Icon. The screenshots below will help you navigate, but it is really pretty intuitive. I hope.  

Midland Gem and Mineral Society Presentation–Updated!

Midland Gem and Mineral Society Presentation–Updated!

Updated November 8 Here’s the Midland Gem and Mineral Society Facebook Posting about this presentation: My presentation to the Midland Gem and Mineral Society went great.  I took many rock pictures and specimens which everyone enjoyed.  Raymond Boswell was invaluable in the technical aspect of a visual slide presentation on the auditorium screen in the Sibley Nature Center.  Bill Halepeska did a great job assisting me in presenting the information to a large and interested group.  Thanks to Raymond, Bill, and the membership for sharing the evening with me.

Midland Gem and Mineral Society Presentation

Midland Gem and Mineral Society Presentation

I have been invited to make a presentation to the Midland Gem and Mineral Society about ‘the Carver’ agate find on Thursday, September 28, 2017, at 7:00 pm. I will be providing rock specimens, completed sterling silver bracelets, and over 100 photos demonstrating the extraordinary diversity of the rocks of ‘the Carver’. Bill Halepeska will be joining me in making the presentation and answering questions from the members.  Please contact me for more information.