OK, so the gorgeous yellow-orange Fairburn was the highlight of my rockhounding trip this weekend, but it certainly wasn’t the only “find”. Here’s a selection of some of the other agates, jaspers, etc. What amazes me about this location on the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands is the seeming infinite variety of what you can find, all within one very small area. All of these were collected within a one-square mile area.
A collection of Prairie Agates, something you find relatively often on the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands, but they’re so pretty and so variable that I can’t help but collect more.
This one was SO striking when I saw it lying there that I couldn’t help but collect it. I admit however that I have no idea what this is…any ideas?
A gorgeous prairie agate (or what I’d call a prairie agate), with some very intricate banding and patterns. The green is a bit of lichen I have yet to clean off.
Bubblegum agates! I actually have a somewhat difficult time finding many of these, but always pick them up when I do. Of all the stones out here, it’s the bubblegum agates that really “shine” (ha) when I put them through the polisher. Once you start to wear down those nodules, there are often some truly incredible patterns and banding underneath.
Stones like this make me want to take a hammer and break every stone open. I don’t have a rock saw or anything, but I imagine there are SO many hidden treasures like this on the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands, pieces where you don’t see the beauty unless you slice them open.
A prairie agate. The orangish ones are probably the most common, but there are some pretty red tones in many of them as well.
While many agates have the banding patterns shown on this post, there are some other cool patterns you find as well. Love the pink “druzy” crystalline area that forms the heart of this agate, with some banding and other patterns around it.
A jasper, of which there are many on the grasslands.
One more agate (at least that’s what I’d call it), with some interesting fine banding.
What are the indicators of a Jasper stone being a bubble gum Jasper.
The 4th photo down gives you a good idea…bubblegum agates have many “eyes” on them. This page has mostly polished ones that show what happens to all those eyes when you polish, but also has some pics of bubblegum agates as you find them in the field. They truly do often look like pieces of chewed up bubblegum, but closer look and you see all the eyes.
https://sdakotabirds.com/rockhound/bubblegum_agates/bubblegum_agate_4.jpg
How did you get these on Federal land? Usually not supposed to take anything.
Not the case on Buffalo Gap. In fact if you go to the Visitor’s Center in Wall they’ll give you a map of where to go. THere’s a limit of like 25 pounds a day or something.