Lake Superior Agate Hunt
Da Yooper's Guide to Lake Superior Agates
New to Lake Superior Agate Hunting, Having a hard time finding a Lake Superior Agate among the Lake Superior Pebbles. Remember. the Lake Superior Agate being Quartz, can not be scratched with a knife. With this in mind, here is what to look for.
Lake Superior Agates have a translucent, waxy appearance. The waxiness on some or most of the surface shows itself best in the dry stones.
A milky color, similar to the blue ring you see on the rim of a glass of skim milk.
Any type of banding in a stone that has quartzlike appearance. Remember the knife test.
Look for a change in color. Very often, you will see a change from red to white or a darker color to a lighter color with a fairly distinct contrast.
Any stone that has a little brighter look or color than most. Something that catches your eye, usually because it is reflecting the light through the agate material.
Stones that have some surface pitting or look kind of like an old potato. The "potato look" is what remains of the host rock in which the agate was formed. The host material has been abraded to the point where it is mostly gone. You should see a little waxiness on the surface in addition to the brownish husk that has the "potato look".
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