Book and Information Page
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This page is devoted to providing sources of information on agates, jaspers,
and petrified wood. Literature about these stones, their formation and where they are
found, is presented below along with some links to other sources.
We are personally acquainted with the authors of the following books and can direct to them any questions you may have. Visit our mining page for pictures of our operations at the Agua Nueva Ranch and our Morrison Ranch Jasper mines in Oregon. Pictures and other information about Eden Valley Petrified Wood locations are shown on the Eden Valley page. |
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2008
Calendar of Fine Agates and Jaspers produced by The Gem Shop, Inc. published by Landmark Publishing Twelve 8.5" x 11" full-color photographs of exceptional examples of favorite agates and jaspers desired by collectors, including Moctezuma Agate, Morrisonite Jasper, Plume Agate, Fairburn Agate, Paint Rock, Imperial Jasper, and more. $11.95 each Larger view |
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ISBN: 978-0-9719609-2-3 |
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Back Cover Larger view |
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ANCIENT FORESTS by Frank Daniels and Richard Dayvault Fabulous new book, ANCIENT FORESTS, A Closer Look at Fossil Wood Large format -- (12" x 11.5"), 456 pages, over 1600 color photographs, premium print quality (this book weighs 7.5 lbs!) Hard
Cover only |
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| see cover larger view | see large view-cover photos | |
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Acknowledgements p. iv... "Our first book on the subject, Petrified Wood: The World of Fossilized Wood, Cones, Ferns, and Cycads...(see below)... has been the number one best seller for books in the category of "Fossil Plants" for most of the past 7 years... From Introduction page 3... The study of plant fossils offers a window into forests of the past through which we can glimpse an intriguing former world...
From Table of Contents... |
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ISBN-10:
0-9662938-1-9 |
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GEODES Nature's Treasures by Brad Cross and June Culp Zeitner 9" x 7" Hard and Soft Cover, 279 pages numerous color photographs and illustrations Copyright © 2006 Gem Guides Book Co. copies available from The Gem Shop, Inc. Soft Cover $21.95 each plus $5.00 USPS Priority Mail out of stock Hard Cover $29.95 each plus $5.00 USPS Priority Mail
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| From the Table of Contents: Chapter 1: What are Geodes? Chapter 2: The Mysterious Formation of Geodes in Igneous Rocks Chapter 3: Inedible Coconuts: Mexican Coconut Geodes Chapter 4: When Geodes are Gems Chapter 5: More Latin Surprises Chapter 6: Geode Curiosities Chapter 7: From Sediments to Glamour Chapter 8: Wonderful Warsaw Chapter 9: Strange Geodes of Indiana Chapter 10: A Few Bonuses Chapter 11: Amethyst Surprises and Baby Rattle Rocks Chapter 12: Florida's Ocean Harvest Chapter 13: Not Always Quartz Chapter 14: Strange, Stranger, Strangest Chapter 15: Dozens of Eggs Chapter 16: Almost Geodes: Concretions and Septarians and more including...Geologic Time Scale and FAQ about Geodes |
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Fossicking for Queensland
Agate by Sir Paul Howard
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| Foreword (from page 6) From about the 1950s, there was a rapid growth in the popularity of lapidary as a hobby in Australia. This led to a desire for many rockhounds to travel to distant places to fossick for earth's treasures. One of these destinations was Agate Creek in remote far north Queensland. As a result, the beautiful agates from there feature in almost every collection of gems, be it large or small. Many books have been written on fossicking, and will invariably include reference to the famous Agate Creek. However, very few deal with a single fossicking area as Sir Paul has done in 'Fossicking for Queensland Agate'.
Take a fossicking trip with Sir Paul into
this remote area, take the book, it will be a valuable travelling
companion. About the author: |
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Within the Stone photography by Bill Atkinson --Essays by Diane Ackerman, Philip Ball, John Horgan, Andrew Revkin, Dorion Sagan, Tyler Volk, and David Zindell --Commentary by Si & Ann Frazier and Robert Hutchinson
Hard Cover,
180 pages |
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| Excerpt from inside book jacket: " It began innocently enough. While photographing the Painted Desert, Atkinson became intrigued with the brilliant colors in the petrified wood scattered on the ground. He brought home some polished rocks, photographed them under glare-free lighting, and was captivated. The photographs looked more like paintings of forgotten dreams than either rocks or photographs. Atkinson proceeded to photograph thousands of art-quality polished rocks, bought or borrowed from international dealers and collectors, and to refine his photographic techniques. From these thousands of photographs, Atkinson has chosen for WITHIN THE STONE seventy-two that have yielded the most striking, the most poetic, and the most ineffable images. Atkinson opens a vault beneath our feet, revealing to our astonished eyes the tumult of color, form and desire hidden WITHIN THE STONE... Seventy literary pieces were commissioned for this book from seven writers. Every one of the writers has conspicuous attainments in both scientific and artistic modes... In an appendix, mineralogy experts Si and Ann Frazier and Robert Hutchinson provide mineral commentary for each specimen. " |
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Photographs of specimens from The Gem Shop, Inc. that were borrowed by Bill can be seen on pages 15, 27, 35, 45, 89, and 131.
Photo at right is Morrisonite, page 45. |
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| copies available from The Gem Shop, Inc. for $39.95 each plus $9.50 shipping/handling |
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The Beauty of Banded Agates Excerpt from inside book jacket: "Within these pages you
will find over 260 wonderful photographs of some of the most colorful
banded agates in the world. You will explore the unique qualities and
collecting histories of agates from eight major worldwide locations,
including Botswana, Brazilian, Condor, Dryhead, Fairburn, Lake Superior,
Mexican, and Queensland agates. Along the way, you will meet some of the
key people involved in their production. You will also learn about many of
the characteristics of the agates themselves in this beautifully
illustrated book. Readers will share in the collecting passion, and marvel
at some of the earth's most amazing treasures."
"Michael Carlson has placed before us a magnificent work, "The Beauty of Banded Agates." This work is a superb presentation of world-class agates, which are spectacularly photographed with great precision and sensitivity. Its publication establishes a major landmark in the field of agate collecting and preservation." -- Brad L. Cross / Author- "The Agates of Northern Mexico" “If you love colorful agates, you’ll love "The Beauty of Banded Agates". Every collector should have a copy of this really fine effort. The guiding principle of beauty and aesthetics was right on!” - Bob Jones / Rock & Gem
“No two
snowflakes are exactly alike, nor are any two leaves, but this fact is
never more apparent than when seeing the splendor of agates. Agates are
more popular now than they have ever been, and Michael Carlson’s
spectacular new book shows us why”. “The book is visually stunning” - Scott Wolter / Author- "The Lake Superior Agate"
“The book is
just plain spectacular! It really is a work of art demonstrating the
beauty of agates” -
Roger Clark /
Author- "Fairburn Agate – Gem of South Dakota"
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| Copies available from The Gem Shop... |
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--soft cover edition $38.95 each plus $8.00 S/H in the U.S. |
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Fairburn Agate Gem of South Dakota by Roger Clark High quality, 4-color laminated soft cover 8.5" x 11", 112 pages, 170 color photographs published in 2002 copies available from The Gem Shop, Inc. for $24.95 each plus $5.00 postage
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Fairburn agates are the most colorful and intricately patterned agates found in the United States. The Fairburn's unique and natural beauty earned it the distinction of South Dakota's state gemstone. The agate first came to the attention and appreciation of collectors early in the 1900s and acquired its name from the small town of Fairburn, South Dakota, which was near the most notable and prolific collecting areas. The author has collected and researched the agate for 25 years. The first book on the Fairburn agate was published by Roger Clark in 1998. His current work entitled Fairburn Agate--Gem of South Dakota, is a completely new work. The text includes current knowledge of the origins of the Fairburn agate and agate genesis in relation to their formation. The photography and the representative agates have never before been published. The book is richly illustrated with over 170 full-color photographs presenting an awesome array of the color and beauty of this gemstone. There are charts, graphs, and diagrams to assist the reader in understanding the genesis theories and geologic history of the Black Hills and surrounding badlands and grasslands. |
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-- copies available from The Gem Shop, Inc. for $24.95 each plus $5.00 postage
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Available Now!
Is this an Agate?
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Introduction |
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Out of Stock The River Runs North by Tom Harmon Soft Cover The most comprehensive book on the Montana Moss
Agate ever written!
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Out of Stock |
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News!-- second edition to be
printed in Germany. Negotiations are ongoing in regard to the publishing
and release date for the new book. The projected completion time is
spring 2008. Since 1976, Brad Cross has conducted exhaustive field work and research on the development of the agate beds of Northern Mexico. His book documents those years: his interviews with miners and collectors, his historical and geological data, and his studies of the various agate forms from Laguna, Coyamito, Agua Nueva, Casas Grandes, and other regions. |
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Beginning with a narrative on the people and places in Northern Mexico, the
book continues on to describe, in vivid detail, the origin and types of nearly 75 Mexican
agates and geodes. While the author’s account of the pioneers of Mexican agate
prospecting and trade provides a historical context for collectors, the information on
supply, marketing, importation, and lapidary treatment are invaluable to today’s
professional collectors and amateur enthusiasts. The 200 page, hardcover text is
complemented throughout with an outstanding array of both black and white as well as full
color photographs. "There is no question this will be the definitive work on the agates of this region...if you have any interest in agates at all, I urge you to obtain a copy." Bob Jones, Rock and Gem "The finest modern book on
agate occurrences ever published in the English language. It is thoroughly researched,
well written and illustrated, and an absolute delight to read. We would recommend it to
everyone with an interest in gems and minerals – from neophyte rockhounds to serious
scientists.
"The finest modern book on
agate occurrences ever published in the English language. It is thoroughly researched,
well written and illustrated, and an absolute delight to read. We would recommend it to
everyone with an interest in gems and minerals – from neophyte rockhounds to serious
scientists." |
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out of stock
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Banded Agates Origins and Inclusions Roger K. Pabian Soft Cover This is a book that presents some of the latest theories about agate formation. A wealth of scientific information is given in this soft cover, 8.5" x 11" text of 32 pages. This author has had an interest in agates for many years and has produced this book in conjunction with the Conservation and Survey Division of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. |
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| To see a visual dictionary of agate types, visit
Roger Pabian's Agate page.
Copies of this book are available from The Gem Shop, Inc. for $13.00 plus
$5.00 postage.
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Petrified
Wood The World of Fossilized Wood, Cones, Ferns, and Cycads Frank J. Daniels Hard Cover This book displays the beauty of petrified wood, cones, ferns, and cycads. Depicted in the photographs are some of the finest cut and polished specimens in existence. This 9"x12" hard cover volume contains 420 full color photos and 170 pages. |
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Included are photos of petrified materials from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Madagascar, Turkey, and Zimbabwe, and from Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming in the United States. Some of the following types and species of wood are represented: Araucaria, Woodworthis, Schilderia, Pentoxylon, Hermanophyton, oak, maple, tamarack, and ginkgo; cones of Araucaria, Pararaucaria, Cycadeoidea, and Sequoia; and the ferns Tietea singularis, Tempskya, and Osmundacaulis. Visit our Eden Valley Petrified Wood page for more information on petrified wood from Wyoming Frank J. Daniels hold a degree in History from the University of Denver and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He currently serves as the elected District Attorney for Colorado's 21st Judicial District in Western Colorado and is a member and past president of the Grand Junction Gem and Mineral Club. Copies available from The Gem Shop, Inc. for $75.00 plus $9.50 Priority Mail.
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The
Lake Superior Agate One Man's Journey Scott Wolter Soft Cover |
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