W029 / Oregon

Richardson / Priday South Blue Bed thunderegg

Agate-filled volcanic thunderegg

Collector examples include blue agate and moss. Crucially, the collector could not reliably separate South Blue from Blue without the accompanying labels; preserve that identification limit.

← Western Lapidary Materials
Verified reference photograph pending

What it is

Agate-filled volcanic thunderegg

What to look for

Collector examples include blue agate and moss. Crucially, the collector could not reliably separate South Blue from Blue without the accompanying labels; preserve that identification limit.

At the cutting bench

Cut thunderegg examples demonstrate lapidary use. Inspect fractures and cavities; color alone does not predict usable yield.

Under the loupe

Do not use the licensed Priday Blue image as a South Blue reference. Similar appearance is expected, and a label-level chain of custody is needed to discriminate these bed names.

Source & collecting access

Prior ranch review reports public digging closed. Bed-specific 2026 extraction and legally available access UNKNOWN.

Status checked 2026-10-01

The market notebook

See separated asking/status evidence; no verified realized-price range.

Market researched 2026-10-01

Open the field notes

Color comparison tags

Blue

Geology & evidence limits

Collector describes a newer hole south of Blue as of 2013 and speculates they may share a seam. This is explicitly speculation, not demonstrated stratigraphic continuity. Independent host/age mapping UNKNOWN.

Collecting & trade history

2013 collector account is useful evidence of the newer naming usage; older estate labels may only say Blue. Do not retroactively relabel them South Blue.

Reading old-stock material

Preserve original labels, receipts, packaging and associated pieces. Old-stock age does not authenticate a locality or justify a rarity premium.

How to read the color tags

Blue directly supported by collector caption; other colors await visual review.

Still unresolved

Rights-cleared South Blue photographs; Independent bed map; More dated label examples; Bed-specific market evidence

What we know—and what we don’t

Visual resemblance is a comparison clue, not proof of material identity, locality or documented provenance. Keep source labels and estate records separate from your visual assessment.

C&C Reference Collection

Reference photograph pending. Do not substitute an unlicensed dealer image or a similar-looking specimen of uncertain identity.

Sources & Further Reading
  1. Richardson’s Rock Ranch operator site

    Operator evidence, not production audit. Bed labels must remain distinct; closure is not exhaustion.

  2. Eibonvale / David Rix Jefferson County specimen gallery

    Collector label evidence; not surveyed bed boundaries or definitive numbered-bed crosswalk. Images copyright, no reuse grant found.

  3. Eibonvale / David Rix: South Blue Bed

    Collector examples and labels, not independent geology or access. No image license found.

Cut and polish with appropriate wet methods and silica-dust controls. Historic directions and mine names are not current permission to collect.