W037 / Oregon

Oregon coastal agates

Transported chalcedony; coastal comparison group

A beach find tells you where a stone was picked up, not necessarily where its silica formed.

← Western Lapidary Materials
Close view of a source-labelled Oregon coastal agate
Source-labelled central Oregon coastal agate with needle-like inclusions.

峠 武宏, 2014; crop by Tibet Nation, 2020 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Existing crop reproduced; responsive resizing only.

The find-site label does not identify the original bed or establish the source of a similar beach pebble.

Image source and provenance · License

What it is

Transported chalcedony; coastal comparison group

What to look for

Look for translucent edges and rounded wear. Banding may be faint, and orange or brown surface stain can obscure the interior.

At the cutting bench

A small polished face or light through a thin edge may reveal a different interior from the weathered surface. Fractures control usable size.

Under the loupe

Compare jasper, ordinary quartz and glass. Beach rounding alone is not a material diagnosis.

Source & collecting access

No particular beach’s removal rules, seasonal restrictions or current permission were checked. Consult its managing agency before collecting.

Status checked 2026-10-03

The market notebook

No verified realized-price range was established for this entry. Asking prices and sold labels are not interchangeable.

Market researched 2026-10-03

Open the field notes

Formation & evidence

DOGAMI documents coastal agate and jasper occurrences. Transport separates a find-site label from an original geological source.

Collecting & trade context

Keep the beach and date on the label without converting them into a deposit attribution.

Reading an old label

Preserve the exact name, dates, wrapping and associated pieces. Old-stock age alone does not authenticate a locality or imply exceptional value.

Color comparison limits

White/Cream/Clear, Yellow, Brown/Tan

What we know—and what we don’t

Visual resemblance can narrow a comparison. Material identity, locality attribution and documented provenance need separate evidence.

C&C Reference Collection

Authenticated reference photography is still being assembled.

Sources & Further Reading
  1. DOGAMI: Fossils, Minerals & Gems

    State geological overview; historical/locality context is not current collecting permission.

Historic locality information is not current collecting permission. For cutting, use suitable dust controls and material-specific safety guidance.