Some sample Mineral Specimens that you can find in our area

Ferrierite, a very rare type of zeolite mineral that forms in only a few areas of the world, and our area is one of those. Currently under claim. 

Vesicular basalt. Basalt is a very common type of extrusive igneous stone (it is volcanic in origin and erupted close to the surface) that is high in silica, and is often very thick, which means it can trap gasses. These trapped gasses can leave bubbles, or vesicles behind in the stone, which can be filled with minerals like chalecedony/agate.

Amethyst. While we don't tend to get as deep and rich of a purple as the ones you can get from Brazil, quartz in its many forms is plentiful in our area. This type is macrocrystalline, meaning you can see the crystals with your bare eyes, vs chalcedony, which you need magnification to see the crystal structure. It's all still a form of quartz though, which is made of silica.

An example of water tumbled chalcedony; the microscopic crystalline form of quartz. Like Amethyst, it is a silicate; and quartz is one of the most plentiful minerals around, and erodes and forms much of the sand that makes up beaches. High silica content sand is then harvested and melted into glass. On its own it is clear; the colours come from impurities that mix in with the silica solution.  

A slice of blue agate; a much treasured find. Agates are a form of chalcedony, and are identified generally by their banding. White bands are created not by inclusion of other contaminants, but via trapped air bubbles. You can find a mix of macrocrystalline quartz and chalcedony in alternating layers in some agates, especially if they are hollow in the center (which are called geodes).   

Red jasper. This is a form of chalcedony, the cryptocrystalline form of quartz. Agates are another example. You can identify them by their waxy look and feel, and also by conchoidal fractures - they look little half moon imprints your nails you leave behind in soft clay.