NIPOMO MARCASITE

Many of the digging locations for this marcasite are on private property. It was allowed at one point to collect with the owner's permission, but a few rockhounds ruined it for the rest by trespassing, trampling newly-grown crops, and opening and closing gates not allowing cattle to get to their water sources. As a result, this material hasn’t been dug for a few decades.”

- RUSS KANIUTH

Although marcasite is found all over the world, Nipomo is most famous for its flowery patterns of shiny metallic gold-colored marcasite floating in chalcedony.

WHERE IS NIPOMO?

Nipomo is a small rural suburban town on the central coast of California, a favorite rockhounding spot for years. Today, many of the stones from this region have become exceedingly scarce. Many of the digging locations for this marcasite are on private property. It was allowed at one point to collect with the owner's permission, but a few rockhounds ruined it for the rest by trespassing, trampling newly-grown crops, and opening and closing gates not allowing cattle to get to their water sources. As a result, this material hasn't been dug for a few decades.

CHARACTERISTICS

Nipomo marcasite has many agate characteristics, the favorites are the golden plumes in clear agate. The agate can also be milky to white and have translucent reds to browns.