How to Hunt for Agates

Arrive at your chosen agate-hunting location. Allow for plenty of daylight to wander, scouring through rocks for the telltale signs of an agate. Wear sturdy boots and bring a bag to put any treasures you find in.

Scan the rocks around you for telltale agate colors of red, brown and orange. Sometimes agates come in other colors. Check with your local rock and mineral society to see what colors of agate are most popular in the area.

Look for translucence. Not every brownish, reddish, orange-ish rock is an agate. A true agate will have a thin layer of translucence, similar to the properties of a quartz. In fact, an agate is a variety of quartz, and both display a soft glow in the daylight.

Look for an agate's signature banding. The most distinctive features of an agate are these signature concentric layers of color. Sometimes this banding is not visible if the inner layers of the rock are not exposed. Some agate hunters bring along a rock hammer to split open suspected agates.

Bring your haul of agate to a rock and mineral store for further identification. Many places offer grinding and polishing services or you can do it yourself. Some places even buy agates from amateur rock hounds.