Tag: Agates

Summer Harvest from The Carver Agate Field: 15 Stones

Summer Harvest from The Carver Agate Field: 15 Stones

These beauties show the wonderful and unique geological agate varieties I have been fortunate to ‘happen upon’. This variety is illustrated, once again, by these 15 different stones which I cut in August, while not needing to tend my garden or mow grass. These stones were particularly fun for me because I hit a hot streak of remarkably interesting stones while simultaneously cutting rough material with two separate diamond saws. These beauties seem to appear one after another (sure, I have lots that I cut that go to the reject pile for many various reasons). But, my August work had very little rejected material and kept me busy doing what I really like to do—making stones shiny. Here are the results of my August harvest. To get started: Both of the stones below, #5208 and #5215, were cut from the same piece of rough. Eye popping beauty or just interesting? […]

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Finally: New Shop Up and Running! AND a new Photo Gallery!

Finally: New Shop Up and Running! AND a new Photo Gallery!

Months behind schedule, the shop is making rocks shiny again, although the building is not yet complete. So much for ‘getting done before the snow flies!’ The silversmith shop is built, but I have yet to find my smithing tools which are in ‘below zero’ storage. I have so many 5 gallon buckets of as yet uncut ‘Carver’ stones, it will no doubt take a few years to complete the intensive high grading. Not a problem I mind having, since the most fun (after collecting in the field) is cutting the stones open and seeing the amazing beauty and diversity of colors and agate/jasper types awaiting my eyes. I’ll be sharing this amazing diversity of color, patterns and agate types as I cut and polish. For now, I am showing the new discoveries so far since the shop reopening. These are the result of opening just ONE tub of rocks […]

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Rock & Gem Magazine October 2020: “Captivating Find At The Carver Agate Field” reviewed

Rock & Gem Magazine October 2020: “Captivating Find At The Carver Agate Field” reviewed

In October 2020, Rock & Gem Magazine published an article, “Captivating Find At the Carver Agate Field,” by John Carver and Bill Halepeska. The article as published by Rock & Gem is an abridged, edited version of the original work submitted to Rock & Gem by Carver and Halepeska. The Rock & Gem article in its summary captioned “Authors’ Opinions” incorrectly states that Bill and I came to different geological conclusions. The fact is just the opposite. We collaborated extensively and reached consensus that the ‘deep pit’ nodules and geodes formed in and then weathered out of gas bubbles formed in lava before hardening. Since these nodules and geodes are only in one small area of the ‘deep pit’, we do not believe that they were formed where found, nor weathered out in their current location. We both believe they were formed elsewhere (in the Paisano volcano, several miles to […]

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