Expert Interview

Scott is an accomplished geologist. He has written multiple books on Lake Superior agates, and is very respected in the agate collecting community. He has also done television shows on the History Channel on the subject of Geology. Here is his expert information on Lake Superior agates.

There are two debated formation theories in Lake Superior agates. The first one is called the “multiple deposition theory”, and involves silica sediment being deposited, one layer at a time, usually until the cavity fills completely. The second one is called “single-gel theory”, and involves a single gel of silica that contains all of the minerals needed, and separates out into individual bands gradually. I was not sure about the credibility of either of these theories, so I asked Mr. Scott Wolter which theories he finds credible and/or believes. He told me that he has looked at and studied tens of thousands of Lake Superior agates, and that he has observed proof both of these formation theories. Sometimes, even in the same exact agate.

There are many characteristics of a Lake Superior Agate. But which ones make them attractive and valuable? According to Mr. Wolter, it is the colors (red and white and unusual ones, such as purple), the banding patterns (good fortification banding, which is like a fort with many, many walls, or bands, inside each other), shadow effects (sometimes when you tilt an agate, it may show a “shadow” within the banding, because the bands are so close together and parallel to each other), eye structures (a perfect circle showing on the agate, sometimes even concentric circles), and more, that make the Lake Superior agate eye-catching, and worth a lot of money.

Rare is an overused term these days, and my conception of a “rare” agate was blurred. I asked Scott Wolter what exactly a rare Lake Superior agate was, according to him. He said that a rare Lake Superior agate is one that weighs in at over 2 pounds, is large, or is of great quality. I also asked him what the most unexplained agates in terms of formation are, and he said that it is the mosaic agate (an agate that has been broken, then reformed before exposure to the out and open) and the hurricane agate (a spectacular agate variety that looks like a hurricane, or in my opinion, a cinnamon roll).

There are many ways to treat and beautify an agate; there is mineral oil to “heal” the cracks, there are rock tumblers, there are stone cutting saws, there are polishing machines, there are marble makers, and there are diamond knifes. But what is the best way to treat and beautify an agate? I asked Mr. Wolter just that, and he said that you need to polish only some agates, and when you do, it is best to polish just one face, and leave the rest of it in its natural state.

This concludes my interview with Mr. Scott, an experienced geologist who gave me very valuable expert information about Lake Superior agates.