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Lake Superior Agate
Lake Superior Agate is silicates (chalcedony variety), SiO2 with iron oxide banding. In the hand, it rates 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, and it runs rust red and white bands and orange-brown concentric rings. Common small; clean banded stones over a pound are prized finds.
The geology.
Lake Superior Agate carries the formula SiO2 with iron oxide banding. It belongs to the trigonal (cryptocrystalline) system. Catalogues list it as silicates (chalcedony variety).
It sits at 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale. The surface reads waxy to vitreous. Light behaviour is translucent. Specific gravity runs 2.58 to 2.64. The streak is white. It breaks with conchoidal fracture.
Iron-painted red-and-white banded pebbles with a frosted, pitted skin from a billion years of abuse, translucent on edges, with banding that wraps concentric like tree rings.
It reaches buyers as water-worn beach pebbles, gravel-pit nodules, polished halves or tumbled.
The origins.
Born in 1.1-billion-year-old Midcontinent Rift basalts, then scattered by Ice Age glaciers across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Iowa beaches and gravel pits.
On value, the database notes: common small; clean banded stones over a pound are prized finds.
Traditional associations.
In energy work traditions, Lake Superior agate is held as a deep-time grounding stone carrying a billion years of patience.
We keep this section because people ask. It sits below the geology on purpose, and none of it describes something the stone does.
Spotting the real thing.
Iron-painted red-and-white banded pebbles with a frosted, pitted skin from a billion years of abuse, translucent on edges, with banding that wraps concentric like tree rings.
Rarely faked, though ordinary banded Brazilian agate sometimes borrows the famous name, Lakers' iron-red palette and weathered husk are distinctive.
| Looks like | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|
| Jasper pebbles | Jasper is fully opaque with no translucent banded edges |
| Carnelian | Carnelian glows uniform orange without crisp concentric bands |
| Brick fragment | Beach brick is matte, uniform, and scratches far more easily |
At-home tests.
Before anyone talks you into a lab report, these are the checks worth doing yourself on lake superior agate.
| Test | What you should see |
|---|---|
| Backlight an edge | translucent banding glows |
| Husk texture | pitted 'peeled' surfaces from glacial tumbling |
| Scratch check | Scratches glass; no fizz, no dye |
Stop short of anything that leaves a mark. A gemologist can answer the rest without damaging the stone.
Care & handling.
At 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale it handles careful wear but scratches against quartz and dust. Store it separately and take rings off before rough work.
It breaks with conchoidal fracture, which is worth knowing before you set it or drop it.
Skip the ultrasonic. Lukewarm water, mild soap and a soft cloth handle routine cleaning without risk.
A deeper look.
Extended detail on composition, sourcing, authentication and market value.
The physical record
The formula on record is SiO2 with iron oxide banding. Crystal system: Trigonal (cryptocrystalline). Specific gravity: 2.58 to 2.64. Streak: White. Cleavage and fracture: Conchoidal fracture.
How it reaches the market
Born in 1.1-billion-year-old Midcontinent Rift basalts, then scattered by Ice Age glaciers across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Iowa beaches and gravel pits.
What it gets confused with
Jasper pebbles: Jasper is fully opaque with no translucent banded edges. Carnelian: Carnelian glows uniform orange without crisp concentric bands. Brick fragment: Beach brick is matte, uniform, and scratches far more easily.
What it is worth
Common small; clean banded stones over a pound are prized finds.
Where buyers get caught
Rarely faked, though ordinary banded Brazilian agate sometimes borrows the famous name, Lakers' iron-red palette and weathered husk are distinctive.
One more thing
Minnesota's state gemstone is a glacial hitchhiker, the ice sheets strip-mined Lake Superior's ancient lava flows and seeded agates hundreds of miles south, so corn-country gravel pits yield beach treasure.
An education-first guide.
We do not carry lake superior agate. This page exists because the question comes up and the honest answer is worth writing down, whether or not there is anything here to sell you.
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