AGATES
Many an hour can be spent searching for
agates…those beautiful treasures that polish into gemstones. Formed
before the Ice Age in gravel bed voids, they are created by decaying animal
or vegetable matter mixed with oxides and minerals. To find them, look
for collections of rocks and face the sun. Agates separate themselves from
other stones by being shiny and translucent. Their range of colors: blood
red, orange, milky white, gray, blue, etc. distinguishes them from their
less gaudy stone cousins. Their names: moonstone, rainbow, cloud, moss,
picture, etc. describe some of the fifteen to twenty varieties found on
our beaches. Best beach to find agates: Battle Rock Beach, Agate Beach,
and Paradise Point Beach. They are perfect souvenirs of a day spent at
the beach. (Agate Beach at top and Battle Rock Beach inset)
