Thanks for watching and don't forget to leave a comment below with some advice you'd give to a new agate hunting rockhound! Don't forget to subscribe! ua-cam.com/users/agatedad
Is Agate always found near water? Or can it be in mountainous areas without a creek, river, or ocean? Fun video too! I'm 53 and my parents used to always get mad at me because I wanted to bring home all of the rocks I found. I had no idea this was a thing! I can't wait to go out Rockhounding! 😁
Thanks for your videos! I was just picking, and I bragged about Agate Dad on UA-cam to these die hard mom & daughter rock hunters. But I keep forgetting what I'm looking for. I love when you teach us what to pick and what to look for.
The biggest, most important tip or hint about rockhounding ive ever been graced with is this: DON'T GET DISCOURAGED! It take s time, experience, and honestly luck to get into alot of finds unless you are blessed with a hugely saturated area. I know how it feels to go out, excitement through the roof, and then get skunked. Its all about thw experience and remember that just because you're not finding 5 pounders or crazy rainbow bands, you're still out in a probably beautiful area breathing the air snd enjoying yourself. And the finds always come! And it will make your first exceptional find all the more sweet.. Also, noones opinion but your own matters. If you like it, if you see beauty in it, then its a good find. Don't let Rock snobs or other types ruin your vibe, your taste is absolutely impeccable! Enjoy out there, be safe, enjoy the(re) search as much as the find, and be good to eachother and better to yourself!!
I very recently got into rock hounding. I only would search in my family’s field but when we went to our cabin in Brainerd MN I looked all along the shores and ended up finding two agates! One is very red but rough on the outside so I would have to crack it open to see any bands, but the second one is absolutely gorgeous!! It’s cracked open and all it’s bands are exposed and it’s just amazing! I was so shocked and over joyed when I found it that I thought I would faint lol
To the younger rockhounds out there here is some advice: 1. Find a girl/guy who will tolerate your obsessive rockhounding. 2. Have lots of kids with said girl/guy. 3. Train the kids to rockhound so you can pick up 2, 3 or even 4 times the amount of rocks!!
This brought back a memory I'd like to share. In 1965, my family went camping in every state west of the Mississippi (3 full months) My Dad encouraged me to pick up rocks in each place we camped. Knowing I was a rockhound at a very early age, this was no problem for me. By the time we got back late August, i was probably getting close to the limit that could be hauled. In September, my Dad made a concrete patio (he had retired from a concrete plant) and put all of my rocks in the concrete. Boy did I hate it when the house was sold a few years later 😥
I've been agate hunting for the past 50 years. Every tip you gave in the video are definitely the best tips in my opinion. I live in central Minnesota and I found some natural gravel roads do not have agates. But in the same area on more sandy roads, counties will bring gravel in from gravel pits that are loaded with agates. So be sure to check all the gravel roads in the same area. Keep up the great work! Trying to get my grandkids into agate picking. This new young generation definitely should get into this hobby instead of the video games, etc. 😊
My best advice is to watch lots of utube videos from your favorite rockhounds. I can't tell you how much it helped me identify and "see" different types of rocks and minerals. I got into some great channels and my learning curve exploded. Also fun to share the excitement! Go little caterpillar!!
My area doesn't have a group that I can find! Atleast with a internet presence. Or maybe I'm really bad at using the internet, LOL! But if anyone sees this, if you have a minute & internet connection. Search Rutland County Vermont. I bet you won't find anything inside of 65 miles. I'M THINKING ABOUT STARTING A GROUP/CLUB, WITH LAPIDARY EQUIPMENT ACCESS. Let me know if you're in my area.
If I’m in a good place, finding some fun stuff, and then come up dry for a while, I have learned to stop, have some water and a snack, and raise my eyes to the wider view for a while (which is often a river.) When I start concentrating again, my eyes are fresh and, voila!, the good ones pop out at me again.
I'm brand spanking new to all of this but already feel I've caught the bug. Thank you for this video! Great tips! And a BIG thank you to all those commenting with additional tips! This is a fantastic help!
Thank you! I am just getting into this, and it has been frustrating that most resources show the stones already cleaned up and/ or polished. That doesn't help beginners learn what to look for in the wild. I've learned more about what to actually look for in this video, then I have the past few days of research. ❤
If I ever get to your neck of the woods I will most definitely be doing some agate hunting! I have A LOT of West Coast agates from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho but most don't have the beautiful banding. Great finds! For new rock hounds, walk SLOW and watch for a glow and smooth skinned rocks. They may have pits in them as well. You will find that after a while you will have developed an eye for them and spot them more easily. Also, walk back the opposite direction over the area you just covered. I have found that I will often times having this different view will reveal agates I missed the first time over. Happy hounding!!
I almost had just as much fun as you did finding those gorgeous agates ! The autumn colours are truly breathtaking over there , thanks for taking us along Taylor 🥰💐
Me, too! Didn’t get to do any hunting on Lake Superior until DECEMBER of this year. I found myself laughing out loud, and frequently saying WHOA! When you would turn something around and you could see banding in it! Rock picking vicariously! Sometimes that’s what you have to settle for, and you make good trips for us Taylor, always happy to ‘go along for the ride’ with ya!
I have a great tip for getting the agates out of the gravel road by using a flat screwdriver or a rock pick to get them out of the compacted or cemented gravel. ⛏
The sunlight in certain times of day can really help. You want it coming sideways- the agates light up like neon. Always look for glassy things too! And you learn to walk looking at the ground instead of the horizon after you are at it a while. Since I started as a toddler I tend to be a good spotter and I look everywhere the earth has been disturbed. Where they are building roads is great. I take the dog and a grocery bag that way people thing I am just pottying the dog and pay zero attention. I always look for the little ones and call them "seeds"- if there are little ones there are bigger ones too. But I admit sinc I turn a lot of them into jewelry the little ones are great too..
My parents loved hunting for agates whenever we'd go to the north shore, but I was always terrible at it. Finally, decades later, I'm starting to be able to spot them. I hope these tips help me improve even more - I'm really excited for my next trip back up to Lake Superior!
And do a slow turnaround frequently and look where you just were. The light will be hitting things differently, and often things will ‘pop’ out at you that you didn’t/couldn’t see from another angle.😉😁
Absolutely a Huge one!! GOLDEN HOUR!! 2 hours prior to sundown can be a great time to go but of course tide matter too (assuming u beachhound), when the sun goes down at low tide time You are So In Luck!! Great day to go!
What a beautiful drive! The fall colors are glorious, aren't they? You had really prolific day today. What a haul! All those banded beauties just laying in the road. Crazy! Thanks for sharing!
One of your best videos ever AD. I know I sound like a broken record but I can’t help but be a little bit envious that you Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan guys have so many avenues you can take to successfully find beautiful agates,carnelians and even nodules. It actually hurts to see guys like Michigan Rocks throw back stuff just because he’s got “too many”. Anyway thanks for the vid some of the tips are very useful. PEACE
(Excuse the name apparently my son changed my UA-cam name )🤦🏻♀️- anyways I live in western Wi/ close to mn border by the apple river & st Croix river. Been agate hunting since 1989 and I just started walking again and rock hunting and I have a half of ice cream bucket full❤ many small, some decent sized! I’ve found that the county roads in the spring with the chunks of gravel on the side & in the ditch are where I am having the most luck! I’ve taken about 5 walks and my neck gets so sore from looking at the ground and going up, down, up down .. I need a sand scoop lol I’ve also found that about early evening when the sun is going down it makes them glow ❤️🔥 good luck 👍🏻🍀
I love looking at and thinking about any banded minerals. Thinking about how long it took and the different minerals that forms each band. The colors and ways they each form is just amazing. Beautiful little pieces you found on this trip.
I carry a small bag and a pick up stick with me when i take my dog for a walk. I usually pick up a lot of little treasures. You found some nice specimens Taylor. Thank you for sharing.
Absolutely beautiful area - thanks for the scenic pics as well as gorgeous agates & thank you for the inspiration. I’m brand new at this & while I was waiting for pizza delivery I started browsing the rocks that wash down the nearby hill onto my road. Found a small piece of quartz that I dropped down the drain while washing it 🤦♀️ (note to self - don’t drain rock water down an unguarded sink even if your hands are holding them) & some interesting rocks that I have to try to identify just out of interest. Was just a start but I’m joining my Gem & Lapidary club in the new year, so figured I’d start browsing & see what I find. We all have to start somewhere & I never really thought a gravel road would be a place to look, so thank you for that tip. I’m a bit leary of our creeks as we have crocodiles so I needed some other ideas.
I’ve seen a few videos of yours “unexplored river one” and when you were cutting your rocks to show the insides of them (polyphyr) or something like that. Just saw you’re a dad! Subscribed. Ever since losing my grandpa to covid, I really took to rock hounding to find peace. Love your videos and from 1 dad to another, good luck! Lol
Thanks! And yeah, it’s crazy how peaceful and just, good you feel. If you’re ever in the Pacific NW, Oregon really. Check out Tillamook, and Short Beach! Recently was in Montana visiting my parents and found a 13 lbs agate! Bear creek :-)
Love this video! I live in eastern SD and I've been "picking up neat rocks" ever since i moved here 12 years ago. It started as an ADHD thing, I'd go for walks with my dogs on gravel roads and along the river, and i would constantly get distracted by pretty rocks or a piece of quartz in the gravel. I've got "pretty rocks" filling up my flowerbeds and my cactus & succulent pots. Up til recently i never really thought to learn more about what kinds of rocks im picking up around here. Quartz is about the only thing i can identify 🤣 so I've been trying to learn more, the more i learn the more fun I'm having 🤣 i think i officially caught the bug. But it's not all that easy to find information on what kind of rocks are in *this part* of south Dakota. 99% of the information out there almost entirely focuses on Fairburn agate and gems in the Black Hills. That's 300 miles west of me 😔 While those places are on my "very soon" bucket list, I literally have the Missouri river in my backyard, and from what I've figured out, we don't have the super fancy agates here. The fact that you're showing a gravel road in North Dakota that looks identical to the gravel roads where i live....you might as well be giving me an in-home private lesson 🤣 Believe it or not I've made some of my best finds in my own gravel driveway. Found a decent sized fire agate (i think) a couple weeks ago right in the middle of the driveway, my best find by far, at least ever since i started trying to learn about identifying what I'm finding 🤣🤣 thanks so much for the videos!!!
I have been a rock hound at heart ever since I learned to eat dirt as a young boy. I have lately been hunting for gold and silver nuggets and other relics but I found your channel very interesting because you know the rocks and your focus is always on the rocks and day before yesterday I was blessed with a rock tumbler and now I am watching more of your videos. Thank you for the Inspiration 👍and great content!
Been into to rockhunting for a while and just stumbled across your channel; I am definitely still an amateur but I’ve already learned so much from just an hours worth of videos; wish the sun was up right now so I could take to the field immediately !! Love this community also - Had a particularly rough day and the support that exists within the rock hounding family is so refreshing. So great to being amongst people who all mutually just want to support each other while we all have fun, explore, learn, and collect cool stuff. Thanks everyone. Thanks rocks. Lol
I have yet to go on my first agate hunt as my closest place is 4 hrs away. I bought a few pounds of LSAs just to train my eyes in the meantime for when that day comes. There are many great tips here! If you add up all of the knowledge that went into these tips we are probably talking 100s of years of experience added together. Brilliant!
I haven’t read all the comments, but we think we noticed an artifact in the upper left corner at 9:53. We know you’re just looking for agates, but thought you might be interested. Thank you for your awesome videos…God bless you!
Hi again TAYLOR Good to see you! Lots of smaller ones but oh such pretty banding! That's the fun of it cause you just never know what you'll find. Back when I started I developed my eye by looking at many pictures and actual agates to understand the appearance and colors out there. Wasn't long and it became second nature to be drawn to them! You really do become radar like! Also though a big part of it is learning what type of locations and rocks in that location. Any wash gravel pit etc doesn't guarantee it's the right spot. Developing that understanding saves time and effort and as a newbie keeps discouragement away when there's nothing. Happy you did get some scenery shots of the beautiful fall color there. You live in one of the most beautiful places for an incredible display! Thx as always for sharing!
@@AgateDad It's not always how much you know, but how you present it. Sometimes its better to not know everything, that way people can learn along with you, which allows people to relate to you more than some "Expert."
I live in the worst part of the UK for rockhounding. Just flint all over the place and some milky quartz and Jasper at the beach. I am sick with envy but love living vicariously through your videos 😂❤️
Two factors that help me when looking for a agates is a sunny day. The agates show up better than a cloudy day. When you are focusing on an area, you want to look for a rock that doesn’t look like the rest of the rocks. They can have a sparkle from the sun shining on them. Don’t walk fast, walking slow gives your eyes time to adjust to the rocks you are looking at. 😊
This will be my favorite video of yours! 1) thank you for your advice and some practice 2) those stones you’ve found are SO amazing! They are gorgeous! 🤩🤩
I love the fact that you are rockhounding on a gravel road. The parking area in front of my house here in New Mexico is covered with gravel. My kids are grown but they are all interested in rockhounding. Several of them and myself have found great rocks hidden in the gravel. One son found a great agate in front of the house as he was coming over to visit and was getting out of the car. I found an agate out there a week or two ago. I can rockhound out there every day.
Thank you very much for sharing your Experience with us🙋♂️ Great Video, i love all this fantastic autumn Colors in the Forests out there and your glowing red Agates😍
thank you so much for sharing your tips....you found some amazing pieces this time out....Thanks for showing how beautiful it is this time of year in the Lake Superior area.....I just love it there.
Oh my goodness! Everything is absolutely beautiful!!! I’m just now starting my rockhounding adventures. Haven’t had much luck yet 😢but you give me hope ! Thanks for sharing !
Superrrrrrrr late view here! But dude so many beautiful lines in those pieces brother. We need to get you a tumbler even a vibrating one cause dude they would be amazing! Super helpful vid Taylor. Serious stunners!
When you're agate hunting be sure to know what geographical area you're hunting in. Because agates range in color depending on where you're at. Also I loved your nature videography at the end, gorgeous!
The biggest tip I could give anyone interested in any hobby is...dont give up. If it is something you enjoy doing then it may take some time to learn what you are doing. You might have a bad day and come home with nothing and if you give up you for sure will never find anything. It isnt the find most of the time but the search for that find that makes it fun.
was funny watching you thumb around the ones in your hand while looking at the ground but also using your side vision to look at the thumbed rocks ❤❤❤ what an awesome video 😊
Great tips!!!! And that was one pretty gravel road! Lol. I do alot of hounding at the beach. Sometimes I pick a specific colour to look for. If I pick green and blue, I find green jasper, green and blue sea glass, jade, and all sorts of things. Sometimes I look for clear and sparkly. It’s like training for your eyes.The other thing I do is take a few ziplock bags with me. Kids always want to know what I’m finding; so I will help them find some neat stuff and then I give them their own bag. Spreading the rock hounding joy!!
That's a good idea. I tend to find mostly red and orange rocks.. I've never tried to look for a specific color though. Going to try and look for blue and green next time, thanks for the tip!
Great finds, I personally like looking on gravel roads. I have found many sizeable agates, quarter sized to 50 cent sized. My tip, look towards the edges, as most of the gravel and rocks gets pushed towards the edge when graded. Also, take one side at a time and do a slow zig zag pattern, go from edge to middle. I have found many agates this way. Another tip for those who are still new to agate, if you are having trouble finding them, the simplest tip, look for red rocks with banding.
@@AgateDad I found one about roughly about that size over the summer. 14.1 ounces. I first thought it was jasper, but decided to keep it and wash it up, turns out, it was my biggest find to date.
I'm working on starting a handmade business, including stone pendants. I just got done buying like 50 cool cut/tumbled/drilled exotic stones on ebay but now I'm really excited to trying finding some cool rocks myself! I also have a little toy rock tumbler that I'm planning on using as a base for a larger homemade tumbler!
It really is quite satisfying watching and learning about different stones and agates it is quite satisfying even better yet I found a few before we got a big snow storm here in Michigan I was so over the moon excited when I found my first one
Very pretty agate. I'm still looking for a gravel road. TFS 💖 My tip: arrive just as the sun's coming up, with your back to it. I usually look to the right of my shadow. The sun will light up any agates or chalcedony like crazy. And like you said, go slow! I can spend 30 minutes going 15 feet.
Every video ive really enjoyed tonight just so happened to be yours.. So ive just subscribed to yr channel. I live in the very far north of Britain right on the coast & when i moved here from the remote countryside, quite a few yrs ago, i was deliriously happy to find miles of beautiful beaches unspoilt by tourists & still as they were thousands of yrs ago. Im also incredibly lucky to live a scant 25 min walk to the best beach, well its a small Cove at the base of tremendous wild craggy cliffs.. But the secret of my treasure trove cove is that its right in front of an area of sea where all the great tankers & boats of today AND an ancient area where ships have dropped their ballasts since mankind took to the seas My county is Northumberland & was the #1 top spot for Viking raiding parties to come & spend a vaccation robbing, pillaging, stealing women, axing monks to jigsaw pieces & i guess alot of Rumpy Pumpy with the fair lasses of my county. So all along this coast ive found Viking artifacts, i usually pass these to museums etc but occasionally they let me have a keepsake ! However! Im rambling again Thing is, since i found my cove, i must have exact timing because certain tides are sneeky & can creep up as you search the cove for stones, rocks & aye! Gems too I know you & yr crew would faint if you saw this secret paradise You cant actually find any sand there. Its just rocks, huge stones, pebbles and.. thats it Our facing sea is the North Sea & believe it or not there are videos on utube saying its one of the most violent, treacherous & freezing sea in the world, worse than even the South China Seas So the violent huge waves scoop up the ship & boat, tanker ballast out just before the land dips down into a cauldren. So with help fr the sea& wind the ballast comes to my cove daily The ballast can be rocks & stones from Sri Lanka, Siberia, Italy, Japan, America, Newfoundland, Iceland, Norway, Canada, South America, Africa & on & on & .. Reason? Just 2.3 miles to the left of my cove is a very very ancient Harbour & ship repository, Ships Chandlers, businesses who have made marine & shipping equipment the same way for a thousand years! Our natural harbour is even mentioned in the famous Doomsday Book created by King John around the time of the Magna Carta ! The Harbour is called Blyth & ships have come here since forever! I know because of what ive found in my Cove delivered by the waves to drop on to the array of the worlds stones & gems already in the Cove Ifound a huge, mans fist sized Orbicular Ocean Jasper it weighs a tonne & has pictures of amazing seas & sea creatures in minute detail on its surface, some areas are swirlingly transparent, others like all the seas of every dimention gathering in one stone, its a whopper, ive found Labradorite the size of pork chops, beautiful Abalone Shells, loads of Red Orbicular Jasper, brown & faun & white Brazillian Agate lemon sized & shape, Rose Quartz, Tangerine Quartz, large pieces of blue lace agate, Strawberry Agate, Diorite, Muscovite, a very strange piece of stone which is orangey brown & half an inch thick & just over a quarter inch wide but is around 7 ins long its very heavy for its skinny looks but when its struck or it strikes Anything, a high pitched melodious sound is heard, its very pleasant but it looks so ordinary & drab really. I have no idea what it is. Ive found a piece of mosaic, like a small domino shape & very thin & slightly curved like if you bent back a playing card for a tiny person, its measurements are too uniform to be natural & on the facing side is a sun, with rays emanating from it & stretching fan shaped over the tiny stone, theres a face in the low centre of the disc, the etched lines can be seen & a sort of patchy discoloration as if part of the glaze is still in the lines & grooves. Sorry im going on& on I just wanted to say how lucky i am to have found my cove I still find stones & gems i cant identify even after 27 years of studying stones ( or stanes as we say) gems & crystals, shells & other beachcombing treasures Ive got some amazing books, lots of university text books for geology & mineralogy, ( 2nd hand i might add as many text books are horrendously expensive. Even my 2nd hand Geology & Mineralogy Course Book for yrs 1 to 4, cost me £80 Its excellent though as i use it alot.) I also have Diopside fr Siberia, blue topaz, Olivine fr Egypt, Icelandic Spar, Bustamite, Beryl Golden Point Quartz, watermelon quartz ( how it survived battering seas & still stayed a decent length i know not!) Lots of Pudding stones, great hunks of schorl, lovely oxidised smooth & curled edged pieces of thin copper, lots of rutillated Quartz with inclusions of hair fine copper & silver strands inside. I found pieces of worked Ivory, Lots of jewellery over the years even gold & gem rings embedded into pebbles & rock. Clumped together old fashioned pistol shot, really old smooth glass bottles, beautiful sea glass I never know what i shall find when i go down to my Cove to browse & probe, there are even narrow entrances at the base of the cliffs & im reluctant to go within they are just, well odd & im happy with my bounteous Cove. Thank you for yr straight to the nitty gritty without the traditional Geologists & Minerologists as they do waffle 😶😶😶 as do I..sorry Anyway you make it fun & id love to think children will chose a career in this marvellous subject because you show its fun & exciting & breath taking & how every day is like christmas day sometimes. 3 massive cheers for you & yr channel & family 👧🇬🇧⚓🚢🌊💎
My biggest tip is make a mental list that you go through over and over here is mine! 1. Waxy skin 2. Iron oxidization 3. Pitting 4. Banding 5. Red/ Multicolor 6. Translucency 7. Quartz If you are like me it's easy for the mind to wander while hunting and this list keeps me focused and finding!
My coolest suggestion is to bring home a large ball of mud--Hogg's Mine in Georgia is perfect for this. Their specialty is mica, rose quartz, and tourmalines. I did a thorough soak and rinse at a utility sink--sieves are important here--and there were so many treasures! My granddaughters went crazy with this project. I went crazy with it, too! It's like unboxing, though messier.
New to your channel. Been binge watching. Can't wait until all this snow in Northern Wisconsin is gone so I can go searching by the river and some of the dirt roads
Enjoyed your last video on Tips for agate hunting. One question I have when looking at your videos is how does "banding in agates" take place and why such different colors in one agate?
It depends on its formation process and how the liquid silica fill air pockets, colors also depend on what is present during the formation, most Lake Superior agates are red from Iron being present during the formation. I still have a lot to learn about the process though 👍
We had hauled in some rock for our driveway from the gravel pit out here in ok, and I'm amazed, cuz daily I find not only pieces of agate, but also arrowhead tips and pieces. And with books, every month or so the local libraries switch out books and label them for sale, real inexpensive.
we live on a gravel road and have found tons of agates! We have found that just after the county grades the road, we tend to find a bunch more (even after we've picked the whole road). we also like to go out the next day after a rain, it washes the rocks for us so less work and more looking! It also helps when the sun is at a lower angle, just so our shadows don't get in the way too much.
@@AgateDad I'm not sure, but it's in the banding itself, so my guess is something like epidote being pushed along the crystallization front until it becomes saturated enough to actually be caught in the front. I really am just guessing here though. But that would explain them being contained in single bands, or a small series of bands, or if they repeat at semi-consistent intervals.
To be honest, I haven’t done much beach hunting up that way this summer and haven't found many that produced. My advice is to use Google maps to find public spots and just start searching 👍👍
No advice but I really like the clock, with the stones on, In the back-ground, around twenty minutes in. How did you attach the stones, with some type of resin?
@@AgateDad Actually, here's some advice for new starters. Try not to be over zealous and learn to be subjective when collecting or you could be in a position like I was and end up with a spare bedroom full of unwanted material. Also, Identification can be difficult due to the variable combinations with minerals. Don't be put-off because it's a really rewarding hobby.
I love looking at rocks- those are very pretty!. We have some of the pink stones they quarry like at the falls. (I live in Sioux Falls, SD). I’m not sure what other types, but I will learn. Thanks 😊
So I started by my house, went to the closest dirt road and creek on Google earth and maps, zoomed into street views to see what was going on there and if it's someone's property. After following the creek for a while and marking points on the map to stop along the way, I found a great spot I believe where the creek meets a river, then split back apart, open field area but nobody around. Pretty historic creek and river too. Bought some weighters for my wife and I, spray bottle, bags, and the rock and mineral book you recommend. So excited. Even if we don't find anything it's worth the experience, time in peaceful flowing water in nature, and I'll get a good start to understanding what to look for. What are your thoughts about a five gallon bucket with a sealed clear bottom, like Rob at MI rocks had, to see in the current, worth making? Thought about adding led lights to the bottom as well so you can see in the shade. Possibly a convex/concave piece of glass instead of plexiglass/glass to enlarge what I'm seeing. Thanks for the tips! Appreciate everything you do!
@@AgateDad definitely. I'm looking into one that I can fold up for easier packing, plus light weight. Once I get something made up I will send you one!
Agate Dad it is also called a crossbody bag It goes from one should across the body to the opposite hip. The weight is distributed differently and can be easier to carry
Thanks for watching and don't forget to leave a comment below with some advice you'd give to a new agate hunting rockhound!
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no, thank you! this helped a lot!!
Are you a recovering heroin addict?? I only ask cause I saw your arm and mine looks like that too.
Is Agate always found near water? Or can it be in mountainous areas without a creek, river, or ocean? Fun video too! I'm 53 and my parents used to always get mad at me because I wanted to bring home all of the rocks I found. I had no idea this was a thing! I can't wait to go out Rockhounding! 😁
Oh, and what are the bands? How do they come about?
Thanks for your videos! I was just picking, and I bragged about Agate Dad on UA-cam to these die hard mom & daughter rock hunters. But I keep forgetting what I'm looking for. I love when you teach us what to pick and what to look for.
The biggest, most important tip or hint about rockhounding ive ever been graced with is this: DON'T GET DISCOURAGED! It take s time, experience, and honestly luck to get into alot of finds unless you are blessed with a hugely saturated area. I know how it feels to go out, excitement through the roof, and then get skunked. Its all about thw experience and remember that just because you're not finding 5 pounders or crazy rainbow bands, you're still out in a probably beautiful area breathing the air snd enjoying yourself. And the finds always come! And it will make your first exceptional find all the more sweet.. Also, noones opinion but your own matters. If you like it, if you see beauty in it, then its a good find. Don't let Rock snobs or other types ruin your vibe, your taste is absolutely impeccable! Enjoy out there, be safe, enjoy the(re) search as much as the find, and be good to eachother and better to yourself!!
This is golden advice 👆👆👆
I very recently got into rock hounding. I only would search in my family’s field but when we went to our cabin in Brainerd MN I looked all along the shores and ended up finding two agates! One is very red but rough on the outside so I would have to crack it open to see any bands, but the second one is absolutely gorgeous!! It’s cracked open and all it’s bands are exposed and it’s just amazing! I was so shocked and over joyed when I found it that I thought I would faint lol
So awesome!
Thanks for the great advice ! I’m a new rockhound ! Still waiting for my first beauty 🥲
💗
To the younger rockhounds out there here is some advice:
1. Find a girl/guy who will tolerate your obsessive rockhounding.
2. Have lots of kids with said girl/guy.
3. Train the kids to rockhound so you can pick up 2, 3 or even 4 times the amount of rocks!!
Hahaha!! This is gold 👍👍
@@AgateDad I've spent over 15 years investing in this strategy.......its finally paying off!!!
Haha I'm in year 2 for having helping hands (my boys), lots of time to go before they can carry the buckets!
This brought back a memory I'd like to share. In 1965, my family went camping in every state west of the Mississippi (3 full months) My Dad encouraged me to pick up rocks in each place we camped. Knowing I was a rockhound at a very early age, this was no problem for me. By the time we got back late August, i was probably getting close to the limit that could be hauled. In September, my Dad made a concrete patio (he had retired from a concrete plant) and put all of my rocks in the concrete. Boy did I hate it when the house was sold a few years later 😥
Thats an amazing memory :) you'll always have that!
I've been agate hunting for the past 50 years. Every tip you gave in the video are definitely the best tips in my opinion. I live in central Minnesota and I found some natural gravel roads do not have agates. But in the same area on more sandy roads, counties will bring gravel in from gravel pits that are loaded with agates. So be sure to check all the gravel roads in the same area. Keep up the great work! Trying to get my grandkids into agate picking. This new young generation definitely should get into this hobby instead of the video games, etc. 😊
My best advice is to watch lots of utube videos from your favorite rockhounds. I can't tell you how much it helped me identify and "see" different types of rocks and minerals. I got into some great channels and my learning curve exploded. Also fun to share the excitement! Go little caterpillar!!
Good advice! And true, YT vids are helpful!
My suggestion is to join a local gem and mineral group, I am so glad we did. They are so knowledgeable and field trips are so much fun!
Good tip!
My area doesn't have a group that I can find! Atleast with a internet presence. Or maybe I'm really bad at using the internet, LOL! But if anyone sees this, if you have a minute & internet connection. Search Rutland County Vermont. I bet you won't find anything inside of 65 miles. I'M THINKING ABOUT STARTING A GROUP/CLUB, WITH LAPIDARY EQUIPMENT ACCESS. Let me know if you're in my area.
On Facebook? How do you search for them?
If I’m in a good place, finding some fun stuff, and then come up dry for a while, I have learned to stop, have some water and a snack, and raise my eyes to the wider view for a while (which is often a river.) When I start concentrating again, my eyes are fresh and, voila!, the good ones pop out at me again.
Such a good tip, and so true. Gotta reset the eyes every now and again.
It’s crazy how this somehow applies to everything in life
When I’m not looking for rocks or working with rocks, I enjoy watching videos about rocks and your are great.
Thank you Judie!!!
I'm brand spanking new to all of this but already feel I've caught the bug. Thank you for this video! Great tips! And a BIG thank you to all those commenting with additional tips! This is a fantastic help!
So happy the video helped!
Thank you! I am just getting into this, and it has been frustrating that most resources show the stones already cleaned up and/ or polished. That doesn't help beginners learn what to look for in the wild. I've learned more about what to actually look for in this video, then I have the past few days of research. ❤
If I ever get to your neck of the woods I will most definitely be doing some agate hunting! I have A LOT of West Coast agates from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho but most don't have the beautiful banding. Great finds! For new rock hounds, walk SLOW and watch for a glow and smooth skinned rocks. They may have pits in them as well. You will find that after a while you will have developed an eye for them and spot them more easily. Also, walk back the opposite direction over the area you just covered. I have found that I will often times having this different view will reveal agates I missed the first time over. Happy hounding!!
Good tip!
Where about in idaho ?
I almost had just as much fun as you did finding those gorgeous agates ! The autumn colours are truly breathtaking over there , thanks for taking us along Taylor 🥰💐
Oh thanks! Glad you enjoyed!
Me, too! Didn’t get to do any hunting on Lake Superior until DECEMBER of this year. I found myself laughing out loud, and frequently saying WHOA! When you would turn something around and you could see banding in it! Rock picking vicariously! Sometimes that’s what you have to settle for, and you make good trips for us Taylor, always happy to ‘go along for the ride’ with ya!
It was fun trying to see the agates when he aimed the camera at the ground
I have a great tip for getting the agates out of the gravel road by using a flat screwdriver or a rock pick to get them out of the compacted or cemented gravel. ⛏
Good tip bud!
The sunlight in certain times of day can really help. You want it coming sideways- the agates light up like neon. Always look for glassy things too! And you learn to walk looking at the ground instead of the horizon after you are at it a while. Since I started as a toddler I tend to be a good spotter and I look everywhere the earth has been disturbed. Where they are building roads is great. I take the dog and a grocery bag that way people thing I am just pottying the dog and pay zero attention. I always look for the little ones and call them "seeds"- if there are little ones there are bigger ones too. But I admit sinc I turn a lot of them into jewelry the little ones are great too..
My parents loved hunting for agates whenever we'd go to the north shore, but I was always terrible at it. Finally, decades later, I'm starting to be able to spot them. I hope these tips help me improve even more - I'm really excited for my next trip back up to Lake Superior!
The sun at certain times of day is going to be your absolute best friend when hunting agates, just walk slow and look at every thing
👍👍
And do a slow turnaround frequently and look where you just were. The light will be hitting things differently, and often things will ‘pop’ out at you that you didn’t/couldn’t see from another angle.😉😁
Absolutely a Huge one!!
GOLDEN HOUR!!
2 hours prior to sundown can be a great time to go but of course tide matter too (assuming u beachhound), when the sun goes down at low tide time You are So In Luck!! Great day to go!
Some times flashlights for all night is all u need😂
@@raleighmarti9513 I have many flash lights and black lights I take with me all night
What a beautiful drive! The fall colors are glorious, aren't they? You had really prolific day today. What a haul! All those banded beauties just laying in the road. Crazy! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching!! It was a good haul!
One of your best videos ever AD. I know I sound like a broken record but I can’t help but be a little bit envious that you Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan guys have so many avenues you can take to successfully find beautiful agates,carnelians and even nodules. It actually hurts to see guys like Michigan Rocks throw back stuff just because he’s got “too many”. Anyway thanks for the vid some of the tips are very useful. PEACE
Haha I've been keeping more that I would usually throw back so I can include them in giveaways!
Us Michiganders are generous souls
We try not to be gluttonous and like to share
That's why we leave some of our good rocks behind
I feel like thats most people 👍👍
(Excuse the name apparently my son changed my UA-cam name )🤦🏻♀️- anyways I live in western Wi/ close to mn border by the apple river & st Croix river. Been agate hunting since 1989 and I just started walking again and rock hunting and I have a half of ice cream bucket full❤ many small, some decent sized! I’ve found that the county roads in the spring with the chunks of gravel on the side & in the ditch are where I am having the most luck! I’ve taken about 5 walks and my neck gets so sore from looking at the ground and going up, down, up down .. I need a sand scoop lol I’ve also found that about early evening when the sun is going down it makes them glow ❤️🔥 good luck 👍🏻🍀
I love looking at and thinking about any banded minerals. Thinking about how long it took and the different minerals that forms each band. The colors and ways they each form is just amazing. Beautiful little pieces you found on this trip.
I carry a small bag and a pick up stick with me when i take my dog for a walk. I usually pick up a lot of little treasures. You found some nice specimens Taylor. Thank you for sharing.
Seriously! I have spent so much time looking for good spots. This is great!
Loved the way you let us pick the rock out before you picked it up, thank you for very helpful video
Absolutely beautiful area - thanks for the scenic pics as well as gorgeous agates & thank you for the inspiration. I’m brand new at this & while I was waiting for pizza delivery I started browsing the rocks that wash down the nearby hill onto my road. Found a small piece of quartz that I dropped down the drain while washing it 🤦♀️ (note to self - don’t drain rock water down an unguarded sink even if your hands are holding them) & some interesting rocks that I have to try to identify just out of interest. Was just a start but I’m joining my Gem & Lapidary club in the new year, so figured I’d start browsing & see what I find. We all have to start somewhere & I never really thought a gravel road would be a place to look, so thank you for that tip. I’m a bit leary of our creeks as we have crocodiles so I needed some other ideas.
Great tips!! Some of them most people would walk past. My tip is just stand in one spot and turn around. Then move and repeat process.
👍👍
They are endlessly beautiful. I can understand the fascination....never boring, each unique. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve seen a few videos of yours “unexplored river one” and when you were cutting your rocks to show the insides of them (polyphyr) or something like that. Just saw you’re a dad! Subscribed. Ever since losing my grandpa to covid, I really took to rock hounding to find peace. Love your videos and from 1 dad to another, good luck! Lol
So sorry to hear about your loss, sending big hugs and prayers. I am so glad you found that peace with it, it really does wonders for the soul.
Thanks! And yeah, it’s crazy how peaceful and just, good you feel. If you’re ever in the Pacific NW, Oregon really. Check out Tillamook, and Short Beach! Recently was in Montana visiting my parents and found a 13 lbs agate! Bear creek :-)
Love this video! I live in eastern SD and I've been "picking up neat rocks" ever since i moved here 12 years ago. It started as an ADHD thing, I'd go for walks with my dogs on gravel roads and along the river, and i would constantly get distracted by pretty rocks or a piece of quartz in the gravel. I've got "pretty rocks" filling up my flowerbeds and my cactus & succulent pots.
Up til recently i never really thought to learn more about what kinds of rocks im picking up around here. Quartz is about the only thing i can identify 🤣 so I've been trying to learn more, the more i learn the more fun I'm having 🤣 i think i officially caught the bug.
But it's not all that easy to find information on what kind of rocks are in *this part* of south Dakota. 99% of the information out there almost entirely focuses on Fairburn agate and gems in the Black Hills. That's 300 miles west of me 😔 While those places are on my "very soon" bucket list, I literally have the Missouri river in my backyard, and from what I've figured out, we don't have the super fancy agates here.
The fact that you're showing a gravel road in North Dakota that looks identical to the gravel roads where i live....you might as well be giving me an in-home private lesson 🤣
Believe it or not I've made some of my best finds in my own gravel driveway. Found a decent sized fire agate (i think) a couple weeks ago right in the middle of the driveway, my best find by far, at least ever since i started trying to learn about identifying what I'm finding 🤣🤣 thanks so much for the videos!!!
😳🤩 WOW The agate at (14:35) is soooo unique!!!! I don’t think I’ve ever seen an agate with those colors !!!!! Definitely a keeper !!!
For sure!
That last one, was an almost perfect heart, God paints beautifully!
Absolutely ❤
I have been a rock hound at heart ever since I learned to eat dirt as a young boy. I have lately been hunting for gold and silver nuggets and other relics but I found your channel very interesting because you know the rocks and your focus is always on the rocks and day before yesterday I was blessed with a rock tumbler and now I am watching more of your videos. Thank you for the Inspiration 👍and great content!
Been into to rockhunting for a while and just stumbled across your channel; I am definitely still an amateur but I’ve already learned so much from just an hours worth of videos; wish the sun was up right now so I could take to the field immediately !! Love this community also - Had a particularly rough day and the support that exists within the rock hounding family is so refreshing. So great to being amongst people who all mutually just want to support each other while we all have fun, explore, learn, and collect cool stuff. Thanks everyone. Thanks rocks. Lol
Sorry to hear about the rough day but glad we can all help each other! Glad my vids can help as well, I’m also an amateur!
You can never find enough rocks . Awesome and thanks for the tips. It's obvious from your excitement you enjoy and it is infectious.
I love it! The enjoyment is just so pure!
I have yet to go on my first agate hunt as my closest place is 4 hrs away. I bought a few pounds of LSAs just to train my eyes in the meantime for when that day comes. There are many great tips here! If you add up all of the knowledge that went into these tips we are probably talking 100s of years of experience added together. Brilliant!
I haven’t read all the comments, but we think we noticed an artifact in the upper left corner at 9:53. We know you’re just looking for agates, but thought you might be interested. Thank you for your awesome videos…God bless you!
I love those tiny ones. Make great beads. Gravel roads are amazing right after a light rain when the sun comes out.
Hi again TAYLOR
Good to see you! Lots of smaller ones but oh such pretty banding! That's the fun of it cause you just never know what you'll find. Back when I started I developed my eye by looking at many pictures and actual agates to understand the appearance and colors out there. Wasn't long and it became second nature to be drawn to them! You really do become radar like! Also though a big part of it is learning what type of locations and rocks in that location. Any wash gravel pit etc doesn't guarantee it's the right spot. Developing that understanding saves time and effort and as a newbie keeps discouragement away when there's nothing.
Happy you did get some scenery shots of the beautiful fall color there. You live in one of the most beautiful places for an incredible display!
Thx as always for sharing!
I absolutely love living in Duluth, such a beautiful city!
Your videos are top notch. It won't be long and you will be the leading authority on agates. Well done.
Appreciate that but there are many many others out there who know wayy more than me! Good people to look up to for sure!
@@AgateDad It's not always how much you know, but how you present it. Sometimes its better to not know everything, that way people can learn along with you, which allows people to relate to you more than some "Expert."
Thats really true!
My goodness those are so beautiful, I love all the bands in them,sweet
I live in the worst part of the UK for rockhounding. Just flint all over the place and some milky quartz and Jasper at the beach. I am sick with envy but love living vicariously through your videos 😂❤️
Happy to bring you along each time 🤘🤘♥️
But Paige, I live without agates, Jasper and flint. You’re blessed. 😂
Wow! They are amazing!
The banding is awesome 👍 I wouldn't want to turn around either! You have to go back again & save some more! 😄
Oh I will!
Two factors that help me when looking for a agates is a sunny day. The agates show up better than a cloudy day. When you are focusing on an area, you want to look for a rock that doesn’t look like the rest of the rocks. They can have a sparkle from the sun shining on them. Don’t walk fast, walking slow gives your eyes time to adjust to the rocks you are looking at. 😊
This will be my favorite video of yours!
1) thank you for your advice and some practice
2) those stones you’ve found are SO amazing! They are gorgeous! 🤩🤩
Another great video! Thanks for your support of Rockhounding Life. I love his channel too.
His channel with his kids is great and very wholesome! Big fan!
I love the fact that you are rockhounding on a gravel road. The parking area in front of my house here in New Mexico is covered with gravel. My kids are grown but they are all interested in rockhounding. Several of them and myself have found great rocks hidden in the gravel. One son found a great agate in front of the house as he was coming over to visit and was getting out of the car. I found an agate out there a week or two ago. I can rockhound out there every day.
Thank you very much for sharing your Experience with us🙋♂️ Great Video, i love all this fantastic autumn Colors in the Forests out there and your glowing red Agates😍
Thanks!
thank you so much for sharing your tips....you found some amazing pieces this time out....Thanks for showing how beautiful it is this time of year in the Lake Superior area.....I just love it there.
Its the best up here, so blessed to be able to call it home!
I soooo can relate to the turning around dilemma! This is a great video and thank you so much for sharing!
🙏♥️
We live near a levee and I am constantly checking it. I have yet to find such beautiful agates. perfect for jewelry. Thanks for sharing.
Update, just cut a few I found in my spot, red, yellow, with agate veins, clear to peach. Some amber colored agatized wood.
Awesome!
Oh my goodness! Everything is absolutely beautiful!!! I’m just now starting my rockhounding adventures. Haven’t had much luck yet 😢but you give me hope ! Thanks for sharing !
Superrrrrrrr late view here! But dude so many beautiful lines in those pieces brother. We need to get you a tumbler even a vibrating one cause dude they would be amazing! Super helpful vid Taylor. Serious stunners!
That would be fun! There is a few lapidary pieces I'd rather get first, but I am sure I'll get one someday lol
So pretty. Both the stones and fall colors.
When you're agate hunting be sure to know what geographical area you're hunting in. Because agates range in color depending on where you're at. Also I loved your nature videography at the end, gorgeous!
Thanks!
Are agates only in certain states or could they be in any state?
Not in every state, if you search your state you may be able to find what minerals are located there
The biggest tip I could give anyone interested in any hobby is...dont give up. If it is something you enjoy doing then it may take some time to learn what you are doing. You might have a bad day and come home with nothing and if you give up you for sure will never find anything. It isnt the find most of the time but the search for that find that makes it fun.
Great advice!!
was funny watching you thumb around the ones in your hand while looking at the ground but also using your side vision to look at the thumbed rocks ❤❤❤ what an awesome video 😊
Great tips!!!! And that was one pretty gravel road! Lol. I do alot of hounding at the beach. Sometimes I pick a specific colour to look for. If I pick green and blue, I find green jasper, green and blue sea glass, jade, and all sorts of things. Sometimes I look for clear and sparkly. It’s like training for your eyes.The other thing I do is take a few ziplock bags with me. Kids always want to know what I’m finding; so I will help them find some neat stuff and then I give them their own bag. Spreading the rock hounding joy!!
That's a good idea. I tend to find mostly red and orange rocks.. I've never tried to look for a specific color though. Going to try and look for blue and green next time, thanks for the tip!
For a spray bottle: get a continuous mist spray bottle or one of the double pump bottles (which sprays on the pump in/and out).
Plan on going for the adventure. Finding agates is the icing on the cake.
Absolutely 👍👍
Hard to believe you found on a gravel road. They are beautiful. Thank you for your program.
Great finds, I personally like looking on gravel roads. I have found many sizeable agates, quarter sized to 50 cent sized. My tip, look towards the edges, as most of the gravel and rocks gets pushed towards the edge when graded. Also, take one side at a time and do a slow zig zag pattern, go from edge to middle. I have found many agates this way. Another tip for those who are still new to agate, if you are having trouble finding them, the simplest tip, look for red rocks with banding.
Great tip and I have also found my biggest gravel road agates on the edges!
@@AgateDad my biggest gravel road find was about the size of a mandarin orange.
Thats awesome, I saw a lady posted pictures of a grapefruit sized one...just a little bit peeking out! Thats the dream haha
@@AgateDad I found one about roughly about that size over the summer. 14.1 ounces. I first thought it was jasper, but decided to keep it and wash it up, turns out, it was my biggest find to date.
So sweet! I'm still wanting to get into the pounders club, I don't believe my biggest is that heavy.
Love watching 😍 I can feel your happiness every time you found each time 😍😍😍
Thanks 😊
So addicted to your videos! I do same! My dog sure loves this
Super Thankful for this Video Buddy , Man you found some very nice stuff absolute Beautiful
I'm working on starting a handmade business, including stone pendants. I just got done buying like 50 cool cut/tumbled/drilled exotic stones on ebay but now I'm really excited to trying finding some cool rocks myself!
I also have a little toy rock tumbler that I'm planning on using as a base for a larger homemade tumbler!
Great video Taylor! Lots of really good info. Thanks!
Youre welcome!
It really is quite satisfying watching and learning about different stones and agates it is quite satisfying even better yet I found a few before we got a big snow storm here in Michigan I was so over the moon excited when I found my first one
Everything you said and did in this video reminded me of myself! We may have actually been made from the same cloth!!
Very pretty agate. I'm still looking for a gravel road. TFS 💖
My tip: arrive just as the sun's coming up, with your back to it. I usually look to the right of my shadow. The sun will light up any agates or chalcedony like crazy. And like you said, go slow! I can spend 30 minutes going 15 feet.
Such a great tip! Thanks!
@@AgateDad Thanks. You learn a lot looking for chalcedony and fire out west (as you know).
Absolutely and can't wait to get back!
@@AgateDad wait till late November or December. Still over 100. 😭
@@icatz Wasn't it refreshing to see leaves with color, which implies cooler temperatures, on today's video? 102 today here in Phoenix.
Thanks for this. This was very helpful. Thanks for giving me time to find the one you found before telling us.
Bro I absolutely love your content. Your passion inspires me ❤️
🤘🤘 thanks Sam!
Hey I'm also from Duluth! I love walking along the Lakefront down by Leif Erickson and I started looking out for agates and beach glass
Love that walk!
Fanny pack 🙌🏼🙌🏼. Makes carrying your finds super easy and hands free
Every video ive really enjoyed tonight just so happened to be yours..
So ive just subscribed to yr channel.
I live in the very far north of Britain right on the coast & when i moved here from the remote countryside, quite a few yrs ago, i was deliriously happy to find miles of beautiful beaches unspoilt by tourists & still as they were thousands of yrs ago.
Im also incredibly lucky to live a scant 25 min walk to the best beach, well its a small Cove at the base of tremendous wild craggy cliffs..
But the secret of my treasure trove cove is that its right in front of an area of sea where all the great tankers & boats of today AND an ancient area where ships have dropped their ballasts since mankind took to the seas
My county is Northumberland & was the #1 top spot for Viking raiding parties to come & spend a vaccation robbing, pillaging, stealing women, axing monks to jigsaw pieces & i guess alot of
Rumpy Pumpy with the fair lasses of my county.
So all along this coast ive found Viking artifacts, i usually pass these to museums etc but occasionally they let me have a keepsake !
However! Im rambling again
Thing is, since i found my cove, i must have exact timing because certain tides are sneeky & can creep up as you search the cove for stones, rocks & aye! Gems too
I know you & yr crew would faint if you saw this secret paradise
You cant actually find any sand there. Its just rocks, huge stones, pebbles and.. thats it
Our facing sea is the North Sea & believe it or not there are videos on utube saying its one of the most violent, treacherous & freezing sea in the world, worse than even the South China Seas
So the violent huge waves scoop up the ship & boat, tanker ballast out just before the land dips down into a cauldren.
So with help fr the sea& wind the ballast comes to my cove daily
The ballast can be rocks & stones from Sri Lanka, Siberia, Italy,
Japan, America, Newfoundland, Iceland, Norway, Canada, South America, Africa & on & on & ..
Reason? Just 2.3 miles to the left of my cove is a very very ancient Harbour & ship repository, Ships Chandlers, businesses who have made marine & shipping equipment the same way for a thousand years!
Our natural harbour is even mentioned in the famous
Doomsday Book created by King John around the time of the Magna Carta !
The Harbour is called Blyth & ships have come here since forever!
I know because of what ive found in my Cove delivered by the waves to drop on to the array of the worlds stones & gems already in the Cove
Ifound a huge, mans fist sized
Orbicular Ocean Jasper it weighs a tonne & has pictures of amazing seas & sea creatures in minute detail on its surface, some areas are swirlingly transparent, others like all the seas of every dimention gathering in one stone, its a whopper, ive found Labradorite the size of pork chops, beautiful Abalone Shells, loads of Red Orbicular Jasper, brown & faun & white Brazillian Agate lemon sized & shape, Rose Quartz, Tangerine Quartz, large pieces of blue lace agate, Strawberry Agate, Diorite, Muscovite, a very strange piece of stone which is orangey brown & half an inch thick & just over a quarter inch wide but is around 7 ins long its very heavy for its skinny looks but when its struck or it strikes
Anything, a high pitched melodious sound is heard, its very pleasant but it looks so ordinary & drab really. I have no idea what it is.
Ive found a piece of mosaic, like a small domino shape & very thin & slightly curved like if you bent back a playing card for a tiny person, its measurements are too uniform to be natural & on the facing side is a sun, with rays emanating from it & stretching fan shaped over the tiny stone, theres a face in the low centre of the disc, the etched lines can be seen & a sort of patchy discoloration as if part of the glaze is still in the lines & grooves.
Sorry im going on& on
I just wanted to say how lucky i am to have found my cove
I still find stones & gems i cant identify even after 27 years of studying stones ( or stanes as we say) gems & crystals, shells & other beachcombing treasures
Ive got some amazing books, lots of university text books for geology & mineralogy,
( 2nd hand i might add as many text books are horrendously expensive. Even my 2nd hand Geology & Mineralogy Course Book for yrs 1 to 4, cost me £80
Its excellent though as i use it alot.)
I also have Diopside fr Siberia, blue topaz, Olivine fr Egypt, Icelandic Spar, Bustamite, Beryl
Golden Point Quartz, watermelon quartz ( how it survived battering seas & still stayed a decent length i know not!)
Lots of Pudding stones, great hunks of schorl, lovely oxidised smooth & curled edged pieces of thin copper, lots of rutillated Quartz with inclusions of hair fine copper & silver strands inside.
I found pieces of worked Ivory,
Lots of jewellery over the years even gold & gem rings embedded into pebbles & rock.
Clumped together old fashioned pistol shot, really old smooth glass bottles, beautiful sea glass
I never know what i shall find when i go down to my Cove to browse & probe, there are even narrow entrances at the base of the cliffs & im reluctant to go within they are just, well odd & im happy with my bounteous Cove.
Thank you for yr straight to the nitty gritty without the traditional Geologists & Minerologists as they do waffle
😶😶😶 as do I..sorry
Anyway you make it fun & id love to think children will chose a career in this marvellous subject because you show its fun & exciting & breath taking & how every day is like christmas day sometimes. 3 massive cheers for you & yr channel & family 👧🇬🇧⚓🚢🌊💎
My biggest tip is make a mental list that you go through over and over here is mine!
1. Waxy skin
2. Iron oxidization
3. Pitting
4. Banding
5. Red/ Multicolor
6. Translucency
7. Quartz
If you are like me it's easy for the mind to wander while hunting and this list keeps me focused and finding!
Good advice!
@@AgateDad Hopefully people can use this to find a CoupleofAgates ;)
@@rudyjames2458 I'm sure they will!
Love ur videos me and my husband just recently got into rock hunting and all 3 of my kids love rock hunting to.
such a great family hobby!
I use a Estwing gem scoop, it increases my reach and aids in digging. Happy hunting!👍
My coolest suggestion is to bring home a large ball of mud--Hogg's Mine in Georgia is perfect for this. Their specialty is mica, rose quartz, and tourmalines. I did a thorough soak and rinse at a utility sink--sieves are important here--and there were so many treasures! My granddaughters went crazy with this project. I went crazy with it, too! It's like unboxing, though messier.
New to your channel. Been binge watching. Can't wait until all this snow in Northern Wisconsin is gone so I can go searching by the river and some of the dirt roads
Thank you, I'm going to my grandparents house tomorrow and they have a creek. I'm also on the edge of getting a rock tumbler so thanks for the video.
Have fun!
Enjoyed your last video on Tips for agate hunting. One question I have when looking at your videos is how does "banding in agates" take place and why such different colors in one agate?
It depends on its formation process and how the liquid silica fill air pockets, colors also depend on what is present during the formation, most Lake Superior agates are red from Iron being present during the formation. I still have a lot to learn about the process though 👍
Love rock hounding, I put my finds in the rocks by my pond. This way when i want to do something with them I can go find them again.
Sólo puedo decir: Gracias a la Naturaleza por crear tanta belleza y gracias a usted por compartirla. Un saludo desde Costa Rica.
I'm so glad that this channel was in my recommended! Subscribed
🤘🤘 thank you!
Agates you found are very beautiful. I like this clip
We had hauled in some rock for our driveway from the gravel pit out here in ok, and I'm amazed, cuz daily I find not only pieces of agate, but also arrowhead tips and pieces. And with books, every month or so the local libraries switch out books and label them for sale, real inexpensive.
we live on a gravel road and have found tons of agates! We have found that just after the county grades the road, we tend to find a bunch more (even after we've picked the whole road). we also like to go out the next day after a rain, it washes the rocks for us so less work and more looking! It also helps when the sun is at a lower angle, just so our shadows don't get in the way too much.
That was so crazy when you pulled up the map. I'm from Casselton, ND and will probably be heading to that creek you pointed out. 😂
That's great, Casselton is a good little town. I know a few people out there at Hagen Dental.
11:50 I saw those light green bands, nice find!
What do you think causes the green?
@@AgateDad I'm not sure, but it's in the banding itself, so my guess is something like epidote being pushed along the crystallization front until it becomes saturated enough to actually be caught in the front. I really am just guessing here though. But that would explain them being contained in single bands, or a small series of bands, or if they repeat at semi-consistent intervals.
So many banded ones! Do you think gravel roads in SE wisconsin would have these or not so much?
Not sure, you’d have to go check this spring!
Hahaha “just five more feet!” Is so relatable
Its every..single..time! Lol
Your presentation was great, thank you :)
Thanks 🙏
“Just 5 more feet” 😂 I ❤️ it!!
♥️🤘🤘
Hey Taylor, we’re heading up to the north shore in a couple weeks what are some of your favorite beaches to rock hound by Lutsen and grand marais
To be honest, I haven’t done much beach hunting up that way this summer and haven't found many that produced. My advice is to use Google maps to find public spots and just start searching 👍👍
Ok thank you have a blessed day
You too 🙏
Gonna go check out some gravel today, thanks for the tip!
Good luck!
No advice but I really like the clock, with the stones on, In the back-ground, around twenty minutes in. How did you attach the stones, with some type of resin?
It was a gift from a friend actually!
@@AgateDad Actually, here's some advice for new starters. Try not to be over zealous and learn to be subjective when collecting or you could be in a position like I was and end up with a spare bedroom full of unwanted material. Also, Identification can be difficult due to the variable combinations with minerals. Don't be put-off because it's a really rewarding hobby.
Great advice!
I love looking at rocks- those are very pretty!. We have some of the pink stones they quarry like at the falls. (I live in Sioux Falls, SD). I’m not sure what other types, but I will learn. Thanks 😊
It's fun!
Go to Rapid City and head south. Look for Fairburn agates!!
@@simafranca1 Have you looked for those? I have suggested this to my family, but no one’s interested. Maybe a solo trip this year! 👍
So I started by my house, went to the closest dirt road and creek on Google earth and maps, zoomed into street views to see what was going on there and if it's someone's property. After following the creek for a while and marking points on the map to stop along the way, I found a great spot I believe where the creek meets a river, then split back apart, open field area but nobody around. Pretty historic creek and river too. Bought some weighters for my wife and I, spray bottle, bags, and the rock and mineral book you recommend. So excited. Even if we don't find anything it's worth the experience, time in peaceful flowing water in nature, and I'll get a good start to understanding what to look for. What are your thoughts about a five gallon bucket with a sealed clear bottom, like Rob at MI rocks had, to see in the current, worth making? Thought about adding led lights to the bottom as well so you can see in the shade. Possibly a convex/concave piece of glass instead of plexiglass/glass to enlarge what I'm seeing. Thanks for the tips! Appreciate everything you do!
I think the buckets a great idea, I want one too lol sounds like your catching the bug!!
@@AgateDad definitely. I'm looking into one that I can fold up for easier packing, plus light weight. Once I get something made up I will send you one!
Walmart now has clear cubbies to store things in. I'm going to use one of them to see the rocks farther out.
When rock hunting I use a messenger bag. It can carry my water and rocks and snacks plus a small towel and bug spray
Is that like a side back pack?! Lol sorry for not knowing
Agate Dad it is also called a crossbody bag It goes from one should across the body to the opposite hip. The weight is distributed differently and can be easier to carry
Oh cool! I know what you're talking about now
Wow some great finds! Thanks for the video!
Found carnelian agate at Goleta Beach (Santa Barbara), California. Lots of it picked up right near surf sand and rock areas.so beautiful.
Good time as always!