Alabama Paint Rock Agate Page !
Updated March16, 2018 @ 6:10 p.m.
I'll be updating this page soon with a
confirmed date as opposed to tentative.
(refresh browser to check for changes)
Cabochons cut from
Paint rock agate.
PAINT ROCK VALLEY WEATHER
10 DAY FORCAST
PAINT ROCK AGATE DIG
, 2018
Exact date to be announced soon.
Adults $40
Children must be approved
Children $15
Paint Rock agate is usually red and yellow . It can sometimes have other colors and even fortification lines . On occasion B&B with rooms & cabins: I recommend the cabins. No cell phone service in this area ! The nearest decent hotel is 20 miles away * Edited: This place has been torn down which makes me sad* The nicest place to stay is the
large agate nodules are found with hollow places that may have druse quartz crystals. Sometimes these crystals can be
quite large , and can even be smoky or amethyst colored . The material is very good for making cabochons or any other type
of lapidary processing and polishing , even tumbling !
Paint Rock agate is usually found in the Paint Rock Valley of Alabama and also in areas across the state line into
Tennessee. This area is on the Alabama side & near the Tennessee state line . We'll be working in the Alabama portion of
the valley in the general area of Trenton. This is an area of great beauty , with mountains that steeply rise up to 1,500 feet in
elevation. While steep , it is not too steep to hike up the mountain. The best most scenic place to do this is up a stream or
wash . There is plenty of shade on this tree covered mountain , so it is not as hot as most places . The limestone on the
mountain side is like a mini "rock city" with natural bridges and rock formations. There is usually lots of fossils to be found
too!
DIG DATE : to be announced $40
This is event will be held rain or shine!
The area that I will be taking people to has a large amount of agate on the property . While the area has plentifull agate , only a
small percentage has the good carnelian intense red color . This will involve a lot of breaking rocks to find the good color.
Here is what you will need to bring :
There is no digging involved in this hunt unless you just want to. Currently the ground has a good amount of agate on
the surface . You'll simply walk along and break the agate to determine what has color . Remember :
10. This event will be held rain or shine !
check may have color.
the agate has color on the inside
moss and lichens.
watched for in spring/ summer months. Safety glasses are mandatory and I will ask to see them when you sign in .
easy and is not for beginners, although the agate is easy to find. Please note that we provide the site (
venue ) and your payment is for access to the site and does not include extensive instruction. Naturally , we will guide you to a
likely place and will show you what to look for before starting the dig.
that you will keep them in sight. Just send me your phone number via email and we will discuss it.
11. Cost $40 per person. Children , if approved, are $15.
Paint Rock Valley Lodge & Retreat Phone (256) 776-9411
3865 County Rd. 9
Estillfork, AL 35745
With online reservations and AAA discount the rooms are $55 and are really nice but you must book early. Whenever
possible I stay here because it is NICE and the closest to the meeting place and has nearby restaurants.
Warning : Not recommended to stay at any of the cheaper hotels in huntsville.
This is a former Hilton hotel so the building has a restaurant, a Star Bucks , and was built to Hilton standards. It is
the nicest Holiday Inn I have ever stayed at. Expensive, but if you have priority club reward points, this is
the BEST place to stay. Oddly enough , this place doesnt require a lot of points to stay
here.
HOLD YOUR CURSOR OVER THE PHOTO BELOW :
(It may take several seconds to change.)
Take me to the main Dig For Crystals website.
The new site has very high quality gem carnelian which is translucent ! It
also has nodules of all sizes , with red and yellow colors. What is great
about this site is that we have access ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP and
there is a road leading half way up. Since we have acess to the top here
, this means we can get the agate fresh from its source ! You can actually
find agate encased in limestone chunks , and you can even see it in place
the agate is of high quality and is not porous.
IMPORTANT : You must email me and register for the digs ! FOR THE dig , THIS WILL BE OUR MEETING PLACE : subject to change so check
back on this!
11620 Al Highway 65 Hollytree, AL. 35751
Sign-in at 8:45 and we will leave at 9 am CENTRAL TIME. If you are late you will
miss the group and wont be allowed to participate. I will be doing a half-day dig on friday, email me for the details.
Please help the local economy of the Paint Rock Valley ! There are nice places to stay , right in the valley. The
Hollytree Grocery has great biscuits and sandwich's grilled to order - Hamburgers too !
Check out the
PAINT ROCK AGATE PHOTO ALBUM
See what we found at the April 10, 2010 dig !
Aside from the Hollytree Grocery (which has good breakfast biscuits & hamburgers) there is no place to eat nearby.
Gurley, 12 miles away on highway 72:
Smoke'n Joe Brown's BBQ CLOSED, Out of business.
El Coyote Mexican Restaurant Decent food & prices. If you're not in a hurry , you should drive ten more miles to Huntsville though ( see below ).
Huntsville, 25 miles away , has good to great restaurants.
EL PALACIO OF MEXICAN FOOD ; 2008 Memorial Parkway Southwest, Huntsville, AL Extremely Good. Downtown Huntsville. Best Mex in town !
DREAMLAND Bar B Que Has a great atmosphere and Decor , but the food is only "good" & expensive. You're better off at a smoke'n Joes in Gurley.
I have tried several of the Mexican restaurants on University drive and have been dissapointed. I may add more reviews here , but Smoke'n Joe's &
Palacio are so good that I may not risk trying anything new. If you're staying at the PRV in Estille, Fork , you're only choice is "Mom's Family Restaurant.
20617 Al Highway 79, Scottsboro, AL 35768. (256) 587-6446." Don't let the Scottsboro address fool you , it is in Skyline and the food is good.
Check out our paint rock agate rough, cabs, and animal carvings for sale on
ebay, plus links to our rock shop in Georgia and our other online presences.
Click the "Go To" drop-down menu below:
Help! I'm lost and all confused and stuff!
Maybe the SITEMAP will help?
FAQs
How can you tell if a rock is agate? ›
how to find agates (agate identification) - YouTube
Where are agates found in Alabama? ›The localities such as Hollytree and Garth that lie in Jackson County of Alabama have agates in various colors. Another area to look for agate in Alabama is Blount County. Jasper is known to be available in Blount County also.
What causes colors in agate? ›Agate occurs in a wide range of colors, which include brown, white, red, gray, pink, black, and yellow. The colors are caused by impurities and occur as alternating bands within the agate. The different colors were produced as groundwaters of different compositions seeped into the cavity.
How can you tell if agate is a Geode? ›A Beginners Guide to Agate Identification - YouTube
How much is agate worth? ›Most agates are cheap ($1 – $10), but some can be very expensive ($100 – $3000) depending on their type, colors, and the location where they were found. Tumbled agate is automatically more expensive than raw agate and those with very vibrant colors, fine bands or are found in one place only also cost more.
What is the most valuable agate? ›Dendritic Agate
It is considered to be the most valuable form of agate. Dendritic agate is associated with the ancient dryads of Greece.
Among the more popular gems and collectible minerals found in Alabama are agate quartz, amethyst, andalusite, apatite, calcite, emeralds, fluorite, ilmenite, magnetite, monazite, onyx, opal, rutile, tourmaline and turquoise.
Where can you rockhound in Alabama? ›The best places to collect rocks in Alabama include the areas around Tuscaloosa, Ashland, Rockford, Alexander City. You can also pan for gold and gems at the Alabama Gold Camp. These locations offer a diverse array of rocks and minerals such as agate, jasper, petrified wood, quartz, and garnet.
Is agate a quartz? ›agate, common semiprecious silica mineral, a variety of chalcedony that occurs in bands of varying colour and transparency. Agate is essentially quartz, and its physical properties are in general those of that mineral.
Which Colour agate is the best? ›GREEN AGATE
This variety of agate helps one to make decisions more quickly, and also increases vitality and strength, especially in times when it is lacking. Green agate is said to bring courage to its wearer.
Why are agates so special? ›
The stone itself is distinguished by impressive shades of natural colors and contrast in the band patterns it contains. The characteristic band patterns—which begin at the center of the rock and move outwards like the rings on a tree—are visually dynamic.
What color is agate naturally? ›The Real agate will have gentle natural colors: white, grayish-white, beige, milky-brown, light-yellow, gentle orange, from light to dark brown, reddish-brown, and sometimes light blue. As real agate is composed of tiny quartz crystals, agate has the same as quarts hardness – 7.
What do natural agates look like? ›Agates come in a wide range of colors, including red, blue, white, orange, pink, brown, green, yellow, gray, purple and black. Some agates are multicolored. Whatever the color, most agates are translucent to some degree. Use a flashlight to back-light the stone and spot any translucent edges.
What should I look for in agates? ›Look to see how much light from the source passes through the stone. Agate is translucent, which means that only some of the light passes through. When you hold the stone up to a light source, the colors of the agate should shine a little and become more clear. If no light shines through, then the stone is opaque.
How do you break open a agate? ›Agates can be cut using a slab saw, band saw, table saw, or Dremel tool. Use a vice grip to hold the rock in place and push it towards the blade as it is being cut. After cutting, agate can be polished using a rock tumbler and polishing powder, sandpaper, or a sanding wheel.
How do I know if I found an agate? ›Inspect the surface of the stone for pit marks. Agates sometimes form in igneous rock and are surrounded by softer rock that erodes away, which can result in surface pitting. Slide your fingers into a crack in the stone or a part of the exterior that has worn away. If you feel waxiness, this is a sign of an agate.
What makes a rock an agate? ›Agate (/ˈæɡ. ət/) is a common rock formation, consisting of chalcedony and quartz as its primary components, with a wide variety of colors. Agates are primarily formed within volcanic and metamorphic rocks.
How can you tell agates from jasper? ›Jaspers are commonly found in red, green, yellow, tan, brown, and even purple. Agates can be found in pretty much all colors, but certain colors will be more abundant depending on the area that you search. Agates found around the Great Lakes are often a dark reddish color with distinct banding.
How do you identify an agate on the beach? ›Finding Agates on the Beach - YouTube