Agate bookends, blue agate bookends, rock formation, large geode bookends, open geode, bookends 23. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Ag301b this is a nice larger fairburn agate from south dakota. Fairburn agates are beautiful, banded gemstones found primarily in south dakotas black hills and also in parts of nebraska and wyoming. Fairburn agate beds gc1whnh was created by jedi cacher on 7292009. They are also called fortification agates because of their banding. Here is another very nice fairburn agate from south dakota. Gem of south dakota, and number three, fairburn agate. Fairburn agates south dakotas worldfamous fairburn agates.
Fairburn agate the south dakota gemstone the rock shed. The fire destroyed much of the organic matter on the. Ag210 b this is a nice smaller fairburn agate from south dakota. I love rocks just as much as you all and hope you will share your finds here. A post office has been in operation in fairburn since. Each piece is subtly one of a kind, bringing a little jeweltoned beauty to bookshelves, desks and. Agate is defined by its translucency ability to see light through it, and by its clearly defined pattern or banding of multiple colors. Hills agate about 10 years ago, a large forest fire swept through the western black hills of south dakota just to the west of jewel cave.
This is the true original location of the fairburn agate, named for the town for which it these exceptional agates were first found. Agate is defined by its translucency ability to see light through it, and by its clearly defined pattern or banding of. This one has different yellow and gray colors in the banding with an interesting design. Bk15 fairburn agate the south dakota gemstone by roger clark. International shipping and import charges paid to pitney bowes inc. Jul 30, 2016 fairburn agates are a form of microcrystalline chalcedony, 100% silicon dioxide with a hardness of 6. Special guest article from showme rockhounds club members dan and connie snow fairburn agates are a form of microcrystalline chalcedony, 100% silicon dioxide with a. Agates mostly occur as nodules in volcanic rocks or waters containing silica in solution which is possibly derived from the decomposition of silicates in the lava. Learn more opens in a new window or tab any international shipping and import charges are paid in part to pitney bowes inc. At any rate, south dakota fairburn agates are plains agates mostly to the south and east of the black hills and mostly associated with terrace gravels along streams andor conglomerate. Fairburn agate bed cache gc206mh was created by jedi cacher on 10232009. A location that ranks higher than 75% of its peers would be in the 75th percentile of the peer group. This piece measures 2 12 x 2 55 x 1 78 and has a natural unpolished surface.
This colorful thin banded agate was named the state gemstone in 1966. There are new agates almost daily and if youre quick you can snag a good one for a. Gc1whnh fairburn agate beds earthcache in south dakota. According to the united states census bureau, the town has a total area of 0. Horse mountain iris agate this looks so much like an opal with all that flash and. All agate photos are taken in a studio setting under studio lights. Fairburns are a unique fortification agate first discovered near the villiage of fairburn, south dakota. It is beyond the scope of this page to cover all of the tendencies, plus we are still learning. Most people know about the agate beds east of fairburn but you can. Fairburn agate can be found from orella, nebraska, to farmingdale, south dakota. Fred and i, have been agate hunters as well as fossil hunters for years.
Why do so many people flock to south dakota to search for these rocks. This super fairburn agate is very nice and would be the centerpiece to many collections. The fairburn agate is a type of gemstone found in the agate beds of south western south dakota and northwestern nebraska. We love to go rock and fossil hunting and know that hunting agates is an art. There is lots of erosion taking place in this area because of the badland landscape. The state gem of south dakota and a highly prized find among rock hunters, fairburn agates get their name from the town near which they are most commonly found. The fairburn agate is a rare agate that is found in many colors and variations of banding. See more ideas about fairburn agate, rocks and gems and rocks and minerals. There are new agates almost daily and if youre quick you can snag a good one for a reasonable price. Due to natural materials used, exact sizes may vary. Ag102c this is a very nice fairburn agate from near fairburn, south dakota. South dakota state gemstone are in print and published by silverwind agates.
Book one is south dakotas fairburn agate is only available on the used book circuit. Fairburn agates are neighbors to lake superior agates, and are found in the vicinity of fairburn, south dakota. Fairburn agates southern vicinity of black hills, south dakota here are the famous or infamous if you prefer fairburn agates, highly sough by the american collectors for their wide range of. For agate collectors who are already intrigued and inspired with the beauty and mysterious origin of agates, this book has all of the latest scientific research. Each piece is subtly one of a kind, bringing a little jeweltoned beauty to bookshelves, desks and consoles. It is very unlikely that you would ever find an exact duplicate of any type of agate, fairburn or other. The fairburn agate, south dakotas official state gemstone, is a beautiful representation of geological mastery. Purple agate bookends with brazilian quartz geode from bull city gems. This page offers information about the south dakota state gemstone, fairburn. Many collectors talk of the old days when the best sites were located around fairburn, south dakota. They are world renowned for their unique translucent beauty, but no ones ever seen them quite like james magnuson and carol wood. It has great fairburn agate banding as well as neat crystal areas. Formed in pennsylvanianpermian carbonate sediments and weathered out since oligocene around the black hills. South dakota rocks south dakota minerals i oakrocks.
That being said, some of the agates pictured here could easily fetch several hundred dollars and some well over grand. Fairburn and other south dakota agates the rock shed. Opaque stones that are called agates include crazy lace agate, fire agate, tree agate and sardonyx. The purpose of this book is to share the authors deep appreciation for agates and thereby promote the pleasure and.
The fire destroyed much of the organic matter on the soil surface and exposed nodules of agate exposed at the surface in areas that were previously unknown to agate collectors. This is the true original location of the fairburn agate, named for the town for which it. The table below compares fairburn to the other 393 incorporated cities, towns and cdps in south dakota by rank and percentile using july 1, 2019 data. For a full discussion, read the chapters in roger clarks new book, fairburn agate, gem of south dakota.
Most people know about the agate beds east of fairburn but you can actually find a. Grandma kerns agate beds1 black donalds dervish from celtic river. The fairburn agate is found in many colors and variations of banding. Agates from the oral, south dakota gravel pit are often very similar to tepee canyon.
Fairburn agate is used in jewelry and is a favorite of rock collectors. Most people know about the agate beds east of fairburn but you can actually find a fairburn agate starting south of rapid city a few miles clear down into the nebraska grasslands. The purpose of this book is to share the authors deep appreciation for agates and thereby promote the pleasure and enjoyment of their intrinsic beauty. Agate photos are taken in a studio setting under studio lights. The fairburn agate is the south dakota state gemstone. The collection on the subsequent pages is the culmination of not just my hunting efforts, but my dad larry muehl. These fine specimens feature a variety of colors, gorgeous bands, and beautiful windows you can gaze into.
Fairburn is tiny town with less than 100 people 30 miles south of rapid city. Freds agate hunting expertise is well known, at least by me, since he usually finds all the best agates. Fairburn agates southern vicinity of black hills, south dakota here are the famous or infamous if you prefer fairburn agates, highly sough by the american collectors for their wide range of bold colors and patterns. Jun 17, 2012 book one is south dakota s fairburn agate is only available on the used book circuit. The fairburn agate beds are located about 12 miles ne of the town of fairburn in custer county sd.
The town was named from its location on a stream, burn being a scottish word meaning creek. Its a not chosen size geocache, with difficulty of 2, terrain of 3. Ag21 1c this is a very nice south dakota fairburn agate. Fairburn agates can be found in nebraska and south dakota. Fairburn agate beds fairburn agate, rocks and gems, stones and. The collection on the subsequent pages is the culmination of not just my hunting efforts, but my dad larry muehl and my aunt and uncle, loretta and paul muehl. The rest of the agate is unpolished, and the pattern crops out a bit on the backside of the wedgeshaped agate. Also found in the same area are banded jasper, rose quartz, prairie agate, blue chalcedony, bubble gum agate, puddingstone. At any rate, south dakota fairburn agates are plains agates mostly to the south and east of the black hills and mostly associated with terrace gravels along streams andor conglomerate beds and lag deposits on top of the eoceneoligocene white river group chadron formation or perhaps the underlying eocene chamberlain pass formation. The fairburn agate beds are located about 12miles east of the town of fairburn, sd i give gsp coordinates at the end of this post. If you are looking to buy a fairburn agate check out the fairburn agates for sale facebook page.
Fairburn agate south dakota state gemstone paperback january 1, 2009 by roger clark author visit amazons roger clark page. To get credit for this find you must correctly answer the following 7 questions by emailing your answers, so please do not post them. The fairburn agate was designated as south dakotas state gemstone on february 11, 1966. This one has nice banding in different shades of brown and tan around the nearly clear center and measures almost 2 x over 1 34 x 1 14. It measures nearly 1 78 x over 1 12 x almost 1 58 thick with a natural finish. It is named after a city 10 miles to the west of the deposit in custer county. Fairburn ranks in the upper quartile for diversity index when compared to the other cities, towns and census designated places cdps in south dakota. In the literature, fairburn agates are reported as quite scarce, and highly prized by collectors. It is very unlikely that you would ever find an exact duplicate of any type of agate. Fairburn agate south dakota state gemstone roger clark on.
Fairburn, south dakota is a small town located at the dividing. D department of environment and natural resources denr does not keep statistics on the fairburn agate. The rock shed features rock tumblers, polished rock, minerals, fossils, spheres, gemstone beads, amber beads and gold specimens as well as agate bookends, crushed rock and grit. This area has given up many many fairburns, and should continue for years to come. The named is derived from the greek word that means spotted stone. Large polished agate with fine banding patterns in white to gray on medium dark. The most sought after agate from south dakota is fairburn agate. French creek campground fairburn, south dakota free. These agate bookends are dyed and polished to reveal naturally occurring patterned rings. Rare and gorgeous, we have only found a few so far were calling the fairburn above cyclops, for the one big red eye, couple of nostrils below. They were formed approximately 300 million years ago in an ancient limestone bed of an inland sea.