Dwarves' Earth Treasures: Agates of Woodward Ranch including Red Plumes


.	Dwarves' Earth Treasures Museum: Texas Red Plume Agates Woodward Ranch, South of Alpine, Brewster Co., Texas	.

     For many decades, the Woodward Ranch is well known as one of very few ranches open to the rockhounders on fee basis and that ranch is where world-famous Texas Red Plume Agates can be found. Beside, the red plume agates, there are many different types of agates and jaspers found in specific areas such as "Agate Peak", "Flower Garden Peak", and the "Red Plumes" around 3000 acres owned by Woodwards. There is also Walker Ranch adjact to Woodward Ranch containing similar materials, but that ranch is open only by appointment.
    The agates of "Agate Peak" are typically white to pink and they seem to be almost always small and filling in the cracks and irregular openings and they tend to be best for tumbling. The "Flower Garden" jasp-agates look like as if they have been sphashed with paint and yellowish brown to brown are typical colors, but also can come in several other brighter colors such as red, orange and yellow. There are some bluish(sometimes purplish) to white agates found within the greenish basalt beds which also produces iris agates.
   Lastly, the world famous red plume agates are found in form of reddish brown "biscuits" from reddish gray basalt beds, and they are usually cut horizontally to obtain plume structures. The manganese minerals were the first minerals to grow in black tree/fern like forms, and some become chemically altered to produce yellow and red colors. Eventually, they would be covered by agate and quartz(sometimes amethyst). It's tricky to spot the agate "biscuits" since they have the same color as the dirt and other basalt rocks, and hidden by those annoying (and dreaded) tall grasses. The grassed areas are good places to hide rattlesnakes! For more information, please visit Woodward Ranch

YOU CAN CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO SEE LARGER PICTURES

Rough Appearance: Brown "Biscuit-like" to cone forms, sometimes showing bits of agates, also in grape-like forms (plumes)
Mostly quartz with black plumes covered with thin agates. Some come with brown "mud" fragments at the bottoms.
Solid agate with black to red plumes are characteristic while solid & colorful banded agates are quite rare.

From Walker Ranch adjust to Woodward Ranch.


April 2008	Rare solid agate April 2008

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The agates below were obtained from the greenish basalt bed (lowest of at least three distinct basalt beds)


Typical agate with geode center. April 2006	Has some shadowing effect. April 2006	April 2006

The agates below were obtained from the "Agate Peak" of Woodward Ranch


Typical pink agate, April 2006	Another typical yellow and red agate. April 2007	April 2008

Yellow, red and white agate, Apri 2006	A rare find! Was hidden under a juniper bush. April 2007	Rare type of Flower Garden Agate, April 2007 Usually brown to yellow colored

Move on to the Gallery of the famous Texas Red Plume Agates

For more information, please visit Woodward Ranch

You can see some Woodward Ranch Agates for Sale at the Online Agate & Thunderegg Shop