Nimmo’s Swamp - Chalcedony

This site is located on private land about 20 minutes north of Palmerston. Permission is required from the land owner before entry and a fee is paid - by weight on the amount of agate removed.

The agate is dug from the head of the swamp at different levels. Most of the agate is a golden amber to white - bytroidal in nature. In some cases small cavities within the agate have small sparkling quartz crystals.

One must dig down to around a meter, and hope that no one else has been there, until a layer of rounded pebbles are reached. Below this layer is found – hopefully some agate.

Digging in an area close to where water enters the lagoon (by the dam) the keen digger will find black stained agate - which at times is covered by a calcareous layer giving the agate a attractive blue-black colour.

Carnelian may also appear while digging – so keep an eye out for it.