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New: "Carver Two Decade Photo Gallery" with 1356 photos!

New: “Carver Two Decade Photo Gallery” with 1356 photos!

By /April 1, 2025 /0 comments /Cut Rocks

From images collected over 20 years of exploring, cutting, and polishing stones from The Carver Agate Field, I have selected a few (1356) photos of some of the best rock specimens to share with you. Visit The Carver Two Decade Photo Gallery to view this extensive collection of rock specimens, and be sure to click on each image so you can enlarge it and enjoy all of the details. Rock #3612 A second extensive photo gallery of cut and polished cabochons and free-form designer gemstones, cut and polished over 20 years, will be forthcoming as well. Rock #399 All of these materials are from The Carver Agate Field. These extensive galleries are primarily intended for serious rock enthusiasts and geologists. I have designed this gallery to allow enlargement and enhanced viewing of the crystal/mineral structures and sagenitic materials that make the ‘Carver’ a unique geological formation worthy of serious scrutiny. […]

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New Video: The Carver Agate Field Collection

New Video: The Carver Agate Field Collection

By /March 29, 2024 /0 comments /Cut Rocks

Texas Amethyst Agate has compiled a comprehensive video of the amazing diversity and beauty of the rocks of The Carver Agate Field of Far West Texas. All of the rocks in this video were collected, cut, and polished by John L. Carver over a period of 15 years. The cutting and polishing of The Carver Agate Field material is ongoing. The Carver Agate Field was described by my friend, the late geologist and rock enthusiast Bill Halepeska, of Midland, Texas, as “the most diverse, colorful, and unique agate find in Far West Texas since the early 1960’s.” Bill made this observation while exploring The Carver Agate Field with me when Bill was in his early 90’s. At that time, he said that he had been exploring the West Texas agate fields for over 60 years. The photos shown in this video, I believe, conclusively confirm his observation. I hope you […]

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In Memory of Bill Halepeska

In Memory of Bill Halepeska

By /January 4, 2021 /6 comments /News

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 Magazine Gets It Right

Rock & Gem Magazine Gets It Right

By /November 14, 2020 /0 comments /Geology

Rock & Gem Magazine’s three articles about The Carver Agate Field have now been published–with a necessary correction to the latest article which appeared in the December issue (see the cover below). The three articles are: The New Carver Agate Field: Is It Worth The Hype? Rock & Gem Magazine vol. 47, issue #8 (August 2017) The Unicorn Citrine Scepter and Yellow Agates. Rock & Gem Magazine vol. 48, issue #8 (August 2018) Captivating Find at the Carver Agate Field: Geological Mystery Draws Interest, Rock and Gem Magazine vol. 50, issue #10 (October 2020) the correction The most recent article and correction is the latest geological mystery solved by my geologist friend, Bill Halepeska, and me. This Rock & Gem article and its correction tracks in abbreviated form the geological mystery we discovered on The Carver–which we believe we have solved. Click the image for a larger, more readable version. […]

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NEW Article + Correction in Rock and Gem Magazine, October 2020

NEW Article + Correction in Rock and Gem Magazine, October 2020

By /November 14, 2020 /0 comments /Geology

In October, Rock & Gem Magazine published the article geologist Bill Halepeska and I had authored in volume 50, issue 10. There were, unfortunately, factual errors that occurred during the editing process. Here at last is the published article, along with the correction. Click each image to open up a larger version for easier reading. And the Correction

Rock & Gem Article about The Carver Agate Field Published

Rock & Gem Article about The Carver Agate Field Published

By /October 24, 2020 /1 comment /News

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

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

By /October 5, 2020 /0 comments /Geology

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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The End of the Beginning

The End of the Beginning

By /August 1, 2020 /4 comments /Geology

In April, 2020, the exploration of The Carver Agate Field ended after approximately 12 years.  That was the beginning. The task has now turned to cutting, polishing and exploring the huge volume of The Carver rocks collected over the last 12 years.  This process has moved to the new ‘Carver’ headquarters being constructed at this time (see photos). Years of further exploratory work will be featured on TexasAmethystAgate.com.  During construction, however, there will be a delay extending into late fall.  Until then, I expect a major feature article  about The Carver Agate Field to appear soon in Rock and Gem Magazine.  This article, expected in the September issue, will be the ‘end of the beginning’ of the surface geological exploration of The Carver.   The article will be published here as soon as it has been published in Rock and Gem.  The article, co-authored with Midland geologist, Bill Halepeska, will reveal […]

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Three Amigos April Rock Hunt

Three Amigos April Rock Hunt

By /May 8, 2017 /1 comment /Rock Finds

Two days of rocking turned up several kinds of moss agates (red, green and yellow), jasper,  agatized jasper, and brechiated jasper (yellow, orange, red, green….), plus nodules and agates.   Geologist Bill continued to ‘school’ us on the geology of ‘the Carver’.  A great time was had by all. Click on the images below to see the detailed versions. Left to right:  John Carver, Raymond Boswell, Bill Halepeska, on April rock hunt on ‘the Carver’.