Ellensburg blue agate unique to Kittitas Canton

Ellensburg blueish agate is a gemstone that is unique in that it is merely found in Kittitas Canton. It was discovered in 1905 by the commencement mayor of Ellensburg, Austin Miers. It has since become a staple of Ellensburg, nominee for Washington'southward land precious stone and sought later on by many people.

Ellensburg blue is the only agate considered to exist a semi-precious precious stone. It tin merely exist establish in northwest Kittitas Canton, particularly around Green Canyon and Reecer Creek Roads.

Angela Halfpenny is an Engineering science Technician in the CWU Geology Department. She has been researching Ellensburg blues. Specifically, she has been researching what makes Ellensburg blues unique from other blue agates and how they can be properly distinguished from others.

"The reason it'due south more important than the other blues, similar a Holly bluish, Turkish Bluish, Mojave Blue or a Bluish Lace, is the fact that because information technology's rarer, it's worth a lot more coin per gram. And so, that's why some people are very interested in information technology," said Halfpenny.

Blueish golden

Sadie Thayer has been the director of the Kittitas County Historical Museum since 2010. She said the museum has had its Ellensburg blue exhibit since it opened in 1961.

Riel Hanson

Thayer said that Ellensburg dejection are mainly sold to jewelers to exist cut and made into jewelry. She said there is another market for Ellensburg dejection with people who collect them. The ones that aren't sold to jewelers are usually raw and aren't gemstone quality.

A problem that arises from Ellensburg dejection existence worth and so much is Ellensburg bluish fraud. Some people have taken stones that wait similar to Ellensburg blue, cut information technology in the shape that Ellensburg bluish is usually cut in, and endeavour to sell information technology for as much as an Ellensburg blue would be sold for. Ellensburg blues can be sold for every bit much as $250 per karat.

"[Ellensburg blue fraud] is common, folks can pass off blue lace agate, which has a similar property and like expect to Ellensburg blue, and claim it as Ellensburg blueish," Thayer said.

While Ellensburg blue has always been rare, over time it has gotten fifty-fifty harder to notice. Thayer described how in the 1970s at that place was a major push called the "rock days." During that time the involvement in Ellensburg blues grew even more. The Ellensburg blue was historic among rock hunters, and promoted more e'er since. Since this time of immense popularity, it has get harder to find Ellensburg dejection.

History

Thayer talked almost how Ellensburg dejection have had a vibrant history. She described how the first mayor of Ellensburg, Austin Miers, sent 2 "beautiful pieces" of Ellensburg blue to a jeweler in Seattle to exist made into rings.

Thayer also talked about J.N.O. Thompson, a man who had a jewelry store in Ellensburg from 1913 to the 1940s. She said that Thomspson's "get-to rock" was the Ellensburg blue, which was a factor in popularizing the Ellensburg blue. The jeweler'due south son, John Prentiss Thompson, became a geologist and wrote a book most Ellensburg blues.

According to History Link, a website that contains history about Washington state, Ellensburg blues were shown to John Prentiss Thompson by local Native American tribes. The tribes used Ellensburg blues to make arrowheads too as to trade with.

The Ellensburg blues fifty-fifty caught the attending of Tiffany and Co in the late 20s. According to Thayer, a Tiffany and Co salesman came to Ellensburg, saw the Ellensburg blue, and promoted all over America.

Land Gem

Thayer is i of the people that testified for House Bill 2757, a bill calling for Ellensburg blue to exist named the official gem of the state of Washington. The current land precious stone, petrified wood, would exist renamed as the official vegetative fossil of the state of Washington.

The beak passed in the house with 91 yeas and 7 nays, and was passed to the senate. However, the senate never got to hear the bill due to a missed deadline.

"We had critical dates that nosotros had to meet, and unfortunately we didn't run across one of those, and that'southward why it had to be stalled," Thayer said.

The bill's side by side opportunity to be brought dorsum to its current status of in commission in the senate will be January. 2021, the side by side legislative bicycle.

"Information technology gives us a chance and an opportunity to cultivate back up and get the discussion out." Thayer said of the wait, "After election season is over and nosotros run across who our state representatives and senators are, nosotros tin can start promoting to them and proverb 'here's a bill you should be aware of, and here's why it's important to say aye.'"

Science

Angela Halfpenny described how Ellensburg dejection are formed, and how they got to Ellensburg. According to Halfpenny, Ellensburg blueish is chemically distinct from other bluish agates due to variations in trace element chemical signatures and crystallography.

Halfpenny said Ellensburg blues are a vein-hosted mineralization. They form when fluid pressurizes deep in the earth and cracks up a solid chunk of basalt. The fluid goes upwardly the crack, mineralizes, and grows out from the walls and into the heart of the crack.

"We theorize that there was a river that brought the Ellensburg Blues from upwards behind Showtime Creek, where they were initially formed." Halfpenny said, "A whole heap of rock has been eroded off the top of Beginning Creek, so that's where [Ellensburg Blues] separated out, and that's what got deposited and people are now finding in their gardens and things like that if you live up Reecer Creek Road or around Dark-green Canyon."