GMS Field Trip

GMS Field Trip
Lace Agate/Chert in Georgia
Sunday, April 13, 2014

This location has been a favorite rockhounding location in Georgia for many years. Because it is an active quarry, the landscape and the material available are always different. Thanks to some recent quarry activity, we had no trouble finding beautiful pieces of lace agate. Several pieces suitable for cabbing as well as some stunning specimen pieces including some oolitic material found new homes that day. I even got some sand! It was one of the first warm days this year and a nice breeze plus some fluffy passing clouds gave us just enough respite from the heat while little bursts of sunshine helped us find those sparkly bits :o)

Celesta discovered “cities” of spires everywhere we went. One city even had a volcano! She found some cool looking mud with cracks and raindrop marks. The Nims boys found lots of mud too and generously helped us collect grab bag material. The Nims found a huge boulder of lace agate that would make a nice yard rock or a decade of cutting material for anyone with the wherewithal to get it home. At least 3 stalactite-like fingers were found too. New member Jesse Chang was a happy little boy with his very first find!

After inundating the local Subway sandwich shop for lunch, we visited Doug Hawkins just a few miles away. Doug has purchased a lot of estate rocks so he had tables filled with slabs, cutting material, nodules, petrified wood, thunder eggs, geodes, and more! His driveway is a surreal field trip of material from many different places. I was so busy looking at the rocks and making my own purchasing decisions while everyone else was gasping and “oohing and ahhing” that I forgot to take pictures of anyone there! Well, at least I took a few pictures of some of the rocks :o)

Many thanks to Charles for organizing another fun adventure!

Lori Carter, on behalf of
Charles Carter, GMS Field Trip Chair
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