Needles Blue Agate

Needles Blue Agate
Needles Blue Agate

Needles Blue Agate

We were introduced a few years ago to "Needles Blue Agate" by Maggie McShan from Needles, California. Maggie and her husband Frank ran an Old Time Rock Shop there in Needles and are well known in the Rockhound community. Chris obtained a very interesting Needles Blue Agate specimen display box (NOT FOR SALE) that Maggie and Frank have marked from the Blue Danube Mine.

We'll let the McShans explain this mineral with the description in their display. This mineral is very rare and only found in one location. The agate forms in layers within the matrix stone and must be cut out to make cabochons or other jewelry. We have been looking for Needles blue Agate for years now and finally found some old stock that probably came from Maggie and Franks shop. When Maggie died the entire shop sold off with little or no notice to the rockhound community so many years of collections were lost to who knows where. From time to time we find a few pieces from their collections.

Needles Blue Agate is rare stone that is single source from the Blue Danube Mine near Lake Havasu. The Needles Gem and Mineral Club of Needles, CA had a claim on this location and members and their guests were allowed to dig many years ago. Not sure of the status now.

We contacted the Needles Gem and Mineral Club to verify the status of the claim on this elusive and rare stone. Their response was..."Hi Chris and Dan!The status is still the same. Yes, the Needles Gem and Mineral Club hold the right to the claim and it can only be used by members in good standing (who may bring a guest.) Thanks for asking! https://thediggings.com/mines/camc298402  Sally"

This Blue Agate forms in veins in a Rhyolite Porphyry. Cutting the blue agate from the matrix is a painstaking effort. Sometimes a combination mix of Agate and Rhyolite make very nice cabs. The colors of this wonderful agate range from clear, light blue, medium blue, dark blue, blue black and may occasionally have a slight blue green tint. Grading of this stone by color is a matter of choice. Most people prefer the brighter light to medium blue, but we have seen some stunning blue black cabs set in sterling silver that are beautiful.

Purchasing this rare to find stone gets to be expensive. Market prices for this rough agate may well exceed three dollars per gram, with trimmed agate and polished pieces reaching prices of up to ten dollars per gram. We have been lucky and have gotten some old stock pieces from some of the lucky few who were able to dig at the Blue Danube Mine. We have been collecting this stone for many years now and it is time to start sharing.

We will be listing some rough specimens, some slabs and some trimmed agate with most of the host rock removed. Do not think that there is an abundance of this material available, we have a very limited supply of this very difficult to find, Needles Blue Agate.

Most of the listings below are trimmed pieces with varying amounts of rhyolite removed. Polished combinations of Rhyolite and Blue Agate can be quite stunning! (see in top photo)