2020-05-01_Lapidary_Journal_Jewelry_Artist

Ellensburg Blue

Varying Blues

Being a seam agate, Ellensburg blue

rough tends to have a somewhat

banded or layered appearance when

looked at edge on, with the best

color generally found on the outside

edges of the seam, grading to colors

that are lighter toward the interior.

The same depositional pattern is

found in the blue chalcedony from

the Lebanon, Oregon, area, familiar

to many readers as Holley agate.

This uneven distribution of color

makes cutting the material a chal-

lenge. Rough is fi rst cut parallel

to the seam, and then individual

freeform stones are cut from that.

In the past, Carl senior did all of the

lapidary work. Finished stones are

graded by color and color inten-

sity, translucency, inclusions (veils),

cabochon size, and shape. Finished

The blue color in Ellensburg chalcedony

is not due to any elemental impurity, but

rather to the interaction between light

and the microcrystalline structure of

the material. Microscopic silica spher-

ules disperse light via a process called

the Tyndall effect, known to many as

what makes the sky look blue.

This selection of rough, slabbed, and

tumbled Ellensburg blue chalcedony from

the Carlson claims displays the variety of

colors the material comes in.

PHOTO: JIM LANDON

Carlson Brothers Jewelry

Ring

Ellensburg agate, sterling silver

PHOTO: COURTESY CARLSON BROTHERS JEWELRY

Carlson Brothers Jewelry

Ring

Ellensburg agate, 24K gold

PHOTO: COURTESY CARLSON BROTHERS JEWELRY

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