Digging for Fire Agates - Rockhounding Oatman, AZ

[@jesseechavarria8488]

That was a good bit of treasure you picked up that day☝️🙂 good video, Thank you.

[@bruceanderson7762]

Just missed doing that 6 years ago...now it's on a bucket list.

[@TOEC]

KZbin says "500 subscribers". Grats! Great video too!

[@RocksForBrains]

I just saw that, yay! 😁

[@haleysfarm]

I grew up there. I am 72 years old. I knew Ed Edgerton. Ed's camp. I used to drill and Blast for him on his fire agate claims on his property. He charged a couple dollars to dig and take all you found. I now live in Oregon. Not sure what is happening in that area but there was some very, very nice fire agate there plus small amounts of opal.

[@dmozonnersepicoutdooradven3524]

DMO & I went to Oatman, AZ when we were stationed down at Fort Irwin, CA together. We traveled through N Arizona hitting Turquoise & Copper mines. Thank you for the video.

[@1sec2midnight]

Hello RFB, I loved the drive to the destination, the old west town, route 66, and great scenery. That is a lot of hard work for such small gems, but they are very cool. Thanks for sharing a great informative video.

[@RocksForBrains]

Thanks! 😁👍🏻

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

That's a lovely area and you had some lovely finds.

[@RocksForBrains]

Yeah it’s nice now but I wouldn’t want to go if it was any hotter lol. I’m working on making a couple cabs from the agates. I’ve got some good fire so far. 😁👍🏻

[@moonstruck581]

Great adventure looks like all your hard work paid off. Beautiful fire Agates Wow!

[@hockeyrace]

Thanks for sharing! Very cool! A lot of work 😅. Your finds were stunning. It’s so nice to see the rocks cleaned up and shown at the end of adventures. So, thank you for that! Also, the history and education you provide is outstanding. Thanks for the 🎥 Stay Crystal 💫

[@RocksForBrains]

Thank you! 😁👍🏻

[@daniaann]

One of my favorite roads in the country. You should see some of the fire I've pulled from there😍I was offered 200 bucks on the spot for one I found getting out of my truck

[@MsMitzula]

This Cuesta mining hole has gotten so much bigger since this video! I found that shifting through the dirt/overburden there gave me the best pieces. I have found some really nice color out there

[@andrewp.schubert2417]

Looks like you had a fun day digging fire agates. I liked the music at the end of the video.

[@ronnie5129]

Hello, in 1982 a Friend of mine took me Oatman, Before it became a Tourist Town, we were driving on a road to there that had weeds growing up in the one lane road, I looked at him and said, are you sure there is a town at the end of the road? he just laughed and said just keep driving, when we got there there were Burro's just walking around town, I thought that i was in an Old Western Movie, he knew a guy there Named Boone, this guy just rode a Horse and went out in the hills throwing sticks of Dynamite just for fun, he brought some rocks back to town and went into the Bar for a drink, he put some rocks on the Bar, and an Oldtimer sitting next to him said do you know what that is? Boone said No, the guy told him that is Fire Agate, It is worth money, so Boone continued to get more of it, He gave me some of it when i met him, due to my Fascination of the way it looked, that is the way the story goes, after a couple of years he sold his Claim for A Million Dollars, IDK, that is just what i heard, does anyone that lived in Oatman at this time remember Boone? Cousin Figel

[@RocksForBrains]

Not sure but that’s a cool story! 😁

[@RockhoundingLife]

That is some really awesome material! So cool that you can have a mining claim for agate down there. Can't do that in my neck of the woods. Great video!

[@RocksForBrains]

It’s BLM land. Not sure how it all works but this family has had it for a long time. Oatman was an old gold mining town so it’s possible the claim was originally for that. He does have to renew the claim every year.

[@elizabethkeenan2389]

I love Don!! In my amateur opinion you did so good with hand tools! Thanks for the video!

[@nancywilson9380]

Very beautiful banding in your agates!

[@KatyDidRocks]

Wow! Those fire agates take a lot of work, but WOW are they worth it!

[@RocksForBrains]

lol yeah I think next fire agate hunt will be in a surface pick area. There’s plenty of those within the same distance as this one. 😜

[@charlietower8382]

Congrats on 500!! Very interesting place. I just returned from AZ and wish I had known about it. 👍 #AlwaysLearning

[@michaeljones3974]

Sorry I'm late to the party, but this was great. My grandparents gave me their unworked fire agate about a year ago and I bought a cab king. I've ground down some already, but still have a ton with fire in it. Pretty sure they purchased theirs, but still amazing to see a spot that it comes from, so thank you!

[@RocksForBrains]

I still have a lot of this to work too. I made a pendant for my sister out of one of the smaller pieces. The larger piece does have fire but I will need to use a Dremel to carve it so I don’t lose any. It was a great experience to mine it out of the rock myself. 😁

[@michaeljones3974]

@@RocksForBrains That's awesome. I just recently found you, but I'm loving your videos. Hope you keep it up!

[@RocksForBrains]

@@michaeljones3974 thank you! 😊

[@RagnarRocks]

AWESOME spot! Thanks for sharing! $50 to dig definitely looks worth it to me!

[@GREEKEXPLORERS]

Congratulations on the amazing video!!

[@c.curtis1614]

Sweet we have to walk the beach for our agates 👍 awesome rocks Lorn congratulations on500 ÷!!

[@RocksForBrains]

I think that would be easier lol

[@c.curtis1614]

@@RocksForBrains lol

[@HangtownDave]

Very cool agates! Looks like you will get some good fire out of many of them. Way to go on the 500 subs! Always enjoy the educational aspect of your channel. Geology, Botany, Wildlife Biology, some desert survival, etc. Nice area! Great music! Thanks for sharing!

[@RocksForBrains]

Thank you! I find pretty much anything outside interesting so I try to find out about it. I’ll never remember scientific names for plants though lol 😁👍🏻

[@HangtownDave]

@@RocksForBrains Latin does suck at times, lol. If you are still up for a rock trade send me a line. [e-mail]

[@RocksForBrains]

@@HangtownDave yes! Also, you won the giveaway!! 😁👍🏻

[@sinkingslowlywithasmile]

I just went out there with a friend 3 days ago at Cuesta Mine it was fun it was exciting BUT a few things Don's getting up there at age 81 I felt like there would be more help polishing the rocks and showing how to clean them cut them and that was not even offered and or the case. Did you let you keep whatever you find he let you keep whatever you get. Lot more hard work and patience is required. Peel the layers of the rock back from the outside into the fire agate that you find kind of like peeling an onion but yet playing Jenga because it loosens in different spots but I got some really good stuff there is another gentleman up or down the road who said he's a little bit more Hands-On with you make sure you leave with great pieces have some power equipment you might want to look around that area for other people also offering this service for same or even less price. Can let me tell you that sledgehammer and chisel ain't no joke we were they're basically open to close. After you leave continue up the hill little ways and there is a goldfish pond made out of a natural spring that has been pulled up and stares made of Stone built into the mountainand then further up that road some of the best scenic views and another memorial on a peek I definitely will be going also if you don't want to dig there was some beautiful clear pieces druzy crystals etc just right on the surface the size of your hand and Don allows you to explore the whole property 80 + acres.

[@Realmphukng]

That's jack, another fire agate miner, he's got some claims up by Dons, he'll take ya up for 20 bucks, and by the end of the day you'll know everything there is to know about fire agate. I just saw him yesterday, he's got a rock shop on the left on 66, on the way to cool springs from Kingman on the left. By Sacramento wash

[@ashleybonanno3043]

Jack has some property across the hiway from Don's property. I know both of them & Don has to be one of the sweetest fellers I've come in contact with since moving out west (I'm from Arkansas). Jack, the coolest thing about him is him sharing his awesome pot with me while I'm out there digging! 🤣😂👍LOLOLOLOL!!!

[@Realmphukng]

@@ashleybonanno3043 lol I love smoking weed w jack😅😅❤️

[@ashleybonanno3043]

@@Realmphukng He's got some choice weed! 👍😏

[@Realmphukng]

@ashleybonanno3043 lol I just back from his shop, we smoked a fattie while I check out his days treasures. Lol he goes up before the sun comes up and back to the shop when it starts gettin hot, the man is seriously obsessed with mining😅❤️maybe I'll meet ya over there sometime, I'm there a couple times a week 😁

[@savagesquirrel9828]

I super-cleaned my Saddle mountain chalcedony and it was a mistake! The dirt in the cracks shows off the amazing swirls. Without it, white blends into white and disappears. I should have just soaked and lightly brushed them instead of laboring for days with wire brushes. Great video...lots of work!

[@RocksForBrains]

I just soak in warm soapy water then use a small scrub brush and a fabric water gun to get the stubborn dirt off.

[@ldjd3698]

Thanks for the nice video, content, and information! 🙏 A tip that might help you going forward to help you work smarter, not harder with your hammer: hold the hammer at the bottom of the handle. This will create more force on impact with the chisel. This is why hammers have long handles. They're not meant to be held up by the head. I hope this helps you get more bang for your buck! 😅

[@puliendopiedrasdecostarica]

Good area and nice finds

[@mrfxm55]

Darkest brown is best with a white-ish crystal cap you'll find the fire under the cap usually.

[@jonathonlafave3698]

I have just one of these and it's a real beauty. I'm tumbling it right now. Going to turn into a pendant. Let me tell you it's hard to get. I know an older guy that runs a mine in Arizona and he comes down to Native American pow wows and gatherings. Talked to him and got one Luckily lol. Good man. ❤️🔥 I definitely treasure it. 👑🌍 Ugh your so lucky. I am all the way in the U.P. IT would be a pleasure to dig for just a few. After watching video after video I come to find that these are pretty rare nad it's crazy how they form, omg. 😍

[@RocksForBrains]

That’s awesome that you have some for yourself! You have some pretty awesome stuff up in Michigan too though. 😊

[@landontakeamericaback2106]

Did not see fire in any piece but agate is still beautiful! Happy hounding wish I were there.

[@RocksForBrains]

The big piece did have some fire but I had to work it on the flat lap to expose it. I haven’t done much with the rest but there could be more. 😊

[@stevencastaneda9]

How much is one of those worth sorry if I sound dumb but just would like to know thank you.

[@RocksForBrains]

It depends how much fire is in it really. I’m not that familiar with the worth of them though, sorry. 😕🤷🏼‍♀️

[@newt7590]

I bought one half the size of my fist for $5. I don’t know if it has any fire as i would have to cut or polish it to find out. It has lots of translucent brown though. They will be more valuable the more continuous stone they have, i.e, large & less cracks so they can be cut into jewelry etc.. lots of continous fire light play makes them worth about $70 for a 5cm rock.

[@AF6PA]

Try shining a UV light on those. Some of them will be brilliant greens and yellows.

[@RocksForBrains]

I will thanks!

[@DinoStones_com]

Nice specimens! Hold on to them. The price for fire agate is about to go up even higher as they continue to grow in value. I made an entire channel about them because these ancient gems are absolutely out of this 🌎 #DinoStones

[@jamesschank3833]

Hi Don, Paul & Jack, talk to you later when Jack's place is open again

[@born2flie]

Be careful tumbling fire agate with other rocks. I had to rerun some bif jasper and other assorted silica rocks in my very first tumbling batch because they got scratched. I removed the Saddle Mountain pieces and sequenced the rest into another fine grit cycle to remove the scratches. I suspect the folds trapped some of the coarse grit or else released coarse crystals that caused the scratching.

[@RocksForBrains]

Good to know, thanks! It could also just be the hardness difference. I think agates are harder than Jasper right?

[@mitchgillilan]

@@RocksForBrains just clean every fire agate between each stage with a toothbrush and water. i did it and i got all the grit out of them, and had no problems. but yes they can be problematic if your lazy and just throw the rocks in the next stage without proper cleaning between stages lol. its worth it to scrub each one to make sure you dont backtrack.

[@born2flie]

It was our first batch so we didn't know better. According to the little NatGeo guide to minerals my wife has, Jasper is also a crypto/micro silica based rock.

[@born2flie]

Jasper is "microcrystalline quartz" -Pocket Guide to Rocks & Minerals of North America, pg 16. Hardness 6-7, streaks white.

[@sardave]

There’s another spot that’s not claimed nearby. Don had you working the side of the road, the good stuff is down in the wash,,, let me know if you ever go back,,,

[@NancyJCoburn]

I'm planning on heading down that way next weekend. I would love any advice.

[@sinkingslowlywithasmile]

@sardave I don't know if you're still on here but I would love some information if you can reply that would be great

[@justrocks7813]

Awesome! Wish I was there! -Jr

[@larryriha6787]

So what do you do with them and what’s the value

[@RocksForBrains]

So far I’ve made one piece into a pendant for my sister. The value depends on how much fire is in there so I don’t really know. Most I just like to polish them up. Some I give away but eventually I’ll make more things to sell. Just too busy for that right now. 😋

[@turnerg]

@@RocksForBrains it also depends on the colors in the fire, have you thought about making any videos on finished/poloshed specimens? I am going fire agate hunting for 4 days this wednesday.

[@RocksForBrains]

@@turnerg cool where are you going? I have a few videos with some polished ones. One of the tumbling videos and one of the lapidary ones shows the pendant I made. Hopefully I’ll get my new space set up this spring and do more. 😊

[@turnerg]

@@RocksForBrains heading to California

[@RocksForBrains]

@@turnerg oh, I didn’t know there was fire agate there. I’m guessing southern CA.

[@traviscalton3615]

Hi Jim sweet rock seen you with L,D thought I'd check you out.

[@COONSLapidaryMagnetitealsoknow]

yeah Don's quite the charector and has good rock, watch out for the wild burro's

[@edrefeen4006]

That was Awesome!!.. Nice finds.

[@nordinesnoopofficiel5054]

504👉 new friend from Morroco 🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦 waiting for your ✍️ Thanks 😄

[@RocksForBrains]

Thanks for subscribing. Hope you enjoy! 😁👍🏻

[@Joyce-bb7et]

Aren't you afraid of a collapse in those holes??

[@RocksForBrains]

@@Joyce-bb7et oh no, they aren’t big enough for there to be a safety issue.

[@Joyce-bb7et]

@@RocksForBrains Oh, Thank goodness. I told my husband that I want to get back into rock hounding. We used to do it and cut the cabs and use it in our silver jewelry.

[@RocksForBrains]

@@Joyce-bb7et I hope you can. 😊

[@jamesschank3833]

I ain't trying to dis you girl, but there ain't Drusy Crystals on Fire Agate, they're hollow once filled with water, I learned that from the miner who's claim you're on a few years back... referring to my comment below

[@RocksForBrains]

@@jamesschank3833 “Druzy refers to a layer of tiny, sparkling crystals that form on the surface of a rock or mineral.” It’s been a few years since I was there but I do remember picking up pieces of rock like that. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@daniedevite6781]

Make him work on it!

[@RocksForBrains]

Why? I was perfectly capable and I was having fun.

[@arno5183]

🌹👍你真棒！

[@larryriha6787]

Battery operated roto hammer

[@RocksForBrains]

Yeah that would have been great!

[@negativex6026]

Too much talking and too Little actual Rock hounding.

[@RocksForBrains]

It’s ok if you don’t enjoy the content. Lots of other rock channels who don’t explain anything that you can watch instead.

[@richardtaihitu6157]

you are looking for a stone or you are giving a lecture?

[@RocksForBrains]

I’m looking for rocks and providing educational value. Many people enjoy learning.