Thundereggs from Oregon, New Mexico and the World

Oregon Thundereggs

Oregon Thundereggs are the majority of thundereggs in the world. America's West coast mainly Oregon and New Mexico produce most of the Thundereggs found in the USA. There are however thundereggs found sparsly in some other states and countries.

Within this page you will find most thundereggs except for the Lucky Strike Mine (also in Oregon) which has a very high specialty demand from collectors. The Lucky Strike Mine Thundereggs have their own page.

Formed millions of years ago, Thunderegg (Thunder egg) is a round nodule-like rock formation, filled with agate, jasper, opal, and/or quartz crystals. Thunderegg is specifically normaly agate-filled or jasper-filled nodules. Typically, the size is from two to six inches in diameter. Rarely eggs can be one to three feet long and weigh over a ton. Some specimens contain two or three eggs connected together.

The exterior surface is white-gray to reddish-brown, looks rough and unattractive but the inner content may surprise you with its impressive crystal formation and colorful mineral patterns. To reveal the natural beauty of eggs, they should be cut in half and polished.

The Legend of Thundereggs

The name was given according to an old legend of the Warm Springs Indians. Two neighboring snow-capped picks - Mount Jefferson and Mount Hood got angry with each other and threw eggs of Thunderbirds which were nestled in both mountains. "Thunder spirits of the mountains who lived in the craters hurled the nodules to the accompaniment of much lightning and thunder".

Thunderegg Formation

The oval-shaped thundereggs have been formed in the rhyolite lava flows and tuffs within the gas or steam pockets that served as molds. The pocket cavity was filled with silica-rich fluids and later solidified and crystallized. Mineral impurities are collected along the bands creating concentric colorful rings.

Oregon produces a great variety of thunder eggs that are known for their various colors and styles. Central and Eastern Oregon is the most popular region in the world for thundereggs hunting. The best productive areas are located in the Ochoco National Forest, in the high desert of Central Oregon near Prineville and Madras, and in Succor Creek Creek Canyon of Eastern Oregon.

In the US, thundereggs can be found most often in Oregon. The Thunderegg was designated as the official state rock of Oregon in 1965.

Below are some of the more popular areas where Oregon Thundereggs can be found....

The Baker Ranch Agate Mine (aka:The Baker Egg Mine) is located 35 miles southwest of Deming in Luna County, New Mexico. Baker Ranch is famous for its exciting colorful thundereggs unearthed here. These colorful deposits come from volcanic activity where andesite and basalt lavas with heavier minerals, which are deposited in the mix, produce the colors in agates. Most Thunderegg deposits produce blue or gray nodules. There are many agate deposits in the world that produce multicolored agates. The Baker Ranch Agate Mine is the only known location in the world with multicolored agate thundereggs. These beautiful Thundereggs are now a thing of the past as we understand there are no more thundereggs to be extracted from this site.