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Agate, Best Place for Agates, Gemstones Found In Oregon, Jasper, Oregon, Oregon Rockhounding Sites, Petrified Wood, Rockhound, Rockhounding, Rockhounding Trips in Oregon, Rocks and Gems, Where to find Cool Rocks - September 4, 2022

Beginner's Guide: Rockhounding Creeks and Rivers

Late summer and early fall is the PERFECT time to try creek or river rockhounding if you have never tried before. This time of year, water runs lower, exposing more of the creek or river bed and lowering water levels so you can see the treasures below!

Almost any rocky bottomed creek to river can provide unlimited treasure hunting if you know what to look for and how to look for it.

All About Jasper: What is Jasper? How is Jasper Formed?

Ever wonder what exactly jasper is? Wonder how it forms? I get asked often and the answer is both simple and complex.

The simple answer: Jasper is a opaque silica based material with conchoidal or "shell-like" fracture (like how glass breaks) and a hardness of 7, which cannot be scratched with a steel pocket knife, just like quartz, why? it's got a high quartz content, the crystals in the material are crypto or microcrystalline quartz, so you can't see them but they are there and that is what gives the jasper it's strength.

The complex answer: jasper is NOT a scientific term. When labeling proper jaspers, scientists will label the specimen "cryptocrystalline quartz or microcrystalline quartz: variety jasper"

Quick Lesson on Central Oregon Coast Beach Finds (video)

Pulled up to my yard in the rain today and decided to give you a little lesson on what you can find when you are on vacation on the central Oregon Coast.

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