Collection: Lake Superior Agate

Lake Superior Agate meaning:

Over a billion years ago, the land that is now called the North American continent started splitting because of tectonic plates pulling apart.  The split was an actual opening in the earth's crust that allowed the earth's magma to flow out as lava along what are now the shores of Lake Superior.  The magma was full of iron and this area is called the Iron Range.  As a result of the tectonic plates moving, not only did lava flow out and pile up as a mountain range, but a big hole got created that became Lake Superior.  Lake Superior Agate has bands of color that are actually stained by the iron from the lava.  As the lava cooled and turned solid, it trapped steam and billions of tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide.  As years went by, water ran over and under the land, carrying dissolved minerals.  Those minerals left deposits that were like micro fine layers that filled up the bubbles and holes created by the trapped steam.  Minerals such as quartz, silica and iron.  The result was glassy like formations of quartz, actually chalcedony, which are the Lake Superior Agates.

Some of the Lake Superior Agate geodes became dislodged from the hardened lava due to rainfall.  Then came the ice age.  The Superior lobe of glacier slid into the hole of the trough.  As it slid, it gathered up the geodes that had been freed and took them with it.  It also freed up a bunch more as it tore up the hardened lava flows.  The geodes got tossed around a lot and would fracture inside and then recrystalize.  

Due to all of this history, Lake Superior Agate is the official gemstone of the state of Minnesota.  

Depending upon the size of the trapped steam bubbles and how the geode was placed in the cooling lava flow, the agates are tiny to small and have straight bands or wavy bands.  Straight banding occurs when there is a puddle of mineral-rich water inside the gas bubble.  Because it is a puddle, there isn't a lot of pressure to cause the bands to distort.  

More rare are the Lake Superior Agates that look like they have eyes or perfectly round banded spots.

Lake Superior Agate metaphysical properties:

Great agate for creative writers.  Really gets the imagination pumped up with fresh ideas and energy.  Helps everyone to broaden their thinking and be more open-minded.  

This somber looking crystal also stimulate creative sexuality and procreativity.  

Nervous, impulsive, envious or jealous individuals may feel overly stimulated by this crystal.