Fairburn agate

Rock hounds scour the southern Black Hills in search of an elusive, yet beautiful rock: the Fairburn Agate. Finding a large fairburn is not only a once-in-a-lifetime treasure, but also will cash in a big paycheck for the lucky rock hound! Where to Start? These agates are named after Fairburn, the town where the most famous agate bed is located. Fairburn is tiny town with less than 100 people 30 miles south of Rapid City. The agate bed is 12 […]

Tom Woodden likes to compare hunting for Fairburn agates to trout fishing.

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Only a part of Wayne's Fairburn agate collection amassed ove a period of 57 years.

The above are two Fairburn agates. For purposes of this image I attached them in this position with a piece of putty. A friend found the right side in some landcsape rock. A few weeks later an agate buddy of his called him up all excited saying he had just found a nice Fairburn (As it turned out in a location about five miles away.). My friend told him to bring it to his house. When he got there my friend said he had recently found one that looked similar. When they put them side by side it…

I was invited over to a Fairburn collectors home and after I shot the ones he wanted done he asked me which one I thought would look best. Tough question as he had hundreds of choices. However, Fairburns can sometimes get repetitive looking so I looked for something off the beaten path. I found it. It looks like what would happen if a Mexican agate and a Lake Superior agate had an illegitimate child.

Get to know the rare and fascinating world of Fairburn agates. Learn about their unique characteristics, formation and where they can be found.

Decorative, patterned forms of agate are excellent natural gems. Learn more about agate's mesmerizing patterns in our agate buying guide!