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Texas Red Plume Agates Woodward Ranch, South of Alpine, Brewster Co., Texas |
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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", etc.. around 3000 acres owned by Woodwards.
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 great 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 wtihin 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 |
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| Classic Red Plume, April 2006 | Interesting plume structures, April 2007 |
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| Black plume covered by solid agate
April 2007 |
Rare find of yellow, black and red plume agate.
It's shame that it's broken.. :( April 2006 |
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| Red Plumes, April 2007 | Red Plumes, April 2007 |
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| Rows of Black Plumes in the agate!
(Lit from behind) April 2007 |
Rows of Black Plumes in the agate! (Lit from behind)
(Cut from the same nobule as one to the left) April 2007 |
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| Tree-like plume structure in agate,
April 2007 |
(The picture to the right is the same specimen that was lit from the behind) |
Rare to find a nodule containing both sagenite and plume inclusions.
Move on to see more Texas Plume Agates
For more information, please visit Woodward Ranch