NFR Darrington jade festival. August 1-3

Non-fishing related
J

Jim in Anacortes

Life of the Party
I'm going to go. I'm an avid rock hounder. Apparently jade offers interesting possibilities in Northwestern WA. The mining district in Darrington is a fer piece up the mountain. I have bumped into some jade hunters south of the Skagit River and have ( I believe) actually found a nice specimen of "jadeite" (as opposed to nephrite jade) on Whidbey Island. The "Jade Junkies" around here are very tightlipped. With China becoming wealthy, some American seafood has become much more valuable....the same thing is happening with the Jade that is found here. I've only been here a few years, but, to me, this jade thing is a very cool aspect of living in Washington. Nice drive in the country, tons of jade, an invaluable education and maybe a piece of jewelry for my sister. I'm going......Cheers Jim
 
I think you're on the right track. This was my beginning exploration guide, couple sample pages. Go with someone else, where you are going to be is no place to get hurt alone. You should be able to find some, and explore some really interesting and pretty country. Pretty thick some times.
 

Attachments

  • 20250724_185656.jpg
    20250724_185656.jpg
    602.6 KB · Views: 9
  • 20250724_185616.jpg
    20250724_185616.jpg
    606.1 KB · Views: 11
  • 20250724_185633.jpg
    20250724_185633.jpg
    646.8 KB · Views: 11
  • 20250724_185648.jpg
    20250724_185648.jpg
    543.1 KB · Views: 11
I did a very brief research of the jade mining district around Darrington. It was intimidating. For me it is often hard to tell if that rock is indeed "jade". Jade is often magnetic. It can also be tested with the "hair test" as well as a specific gravity measurement. Of coarse, slicing a cobble with a rock saw can reveal much. Apparently expert analysis is often used. Now, when you can hold a flashlight to the rock, and it reveals a bright, green apple translucent color..well that's a good sign.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zak
"Nephrite jade is very tough, the toughest known natural mineral, three times tougher than ceramics and even tougher than steel. This explains why it was used in neolithic times for knife blades, axe heads and later for ornamental carvings.".... The Native American artifacts made of jade around here is an interesting discussion. When I was cutting cabochons for jewelry, jade was extremely hard to correctly polish. Using diamond grit abrasives was the only way to get a fine polish on jade,... far different than polishing amethyst , sapphires, opal etc..
 
Jim in Anacortes said:
I did a very brief research of the jade mining district around Darrington. It was intimidating. For me it is often hard to tell if that rock is indeed "jade". Jade is often magnetic. It can also be tested with the "hair test" as well as a specific gravity measurement. Of coarse, slicing a cobble with a rock saw can reveal much. Apparently expert analysis is often used. Now, when you can hold a flashlight to the rock, and it reveals a bright, green apple translucent color..well that's a good sign.
Click to expand...
Huh, I never knew jade could be magnetic. Learn something new every day!
 
Jim in Anacortes said:
Tom Butler... I thank you for your post. I'd like to ask.... have you have collected jade in this area?
Click to expand...
Yes. Existing claims, abandoned sites, and basic exploration. Often you need permission. I have not been in that area since about 1985 however.
 
Last edited:
I've been to many "gem shows". Jade was always perplexing for me. Some material was extremely expensive..and some was suspiciously cheep. Knock offs, similar stones, dyed stones etc..it was all very confusing. (Ketchikan has a jewelry shop with beautiful jade from Canada.) That being said, I believe that the Darrington Jade Festival should be a good place to find authentic, local jade. For some people, jewelry made from "local" gemstones is held in greater regards. I want a high quality Darrington jade ring set in silver.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zak
Jade table tops really are nice...used in a lot of upscale clubs, old school elegant.

fotor-ai-2025072422223.jpg
😁
 
DimeBrite I much appreciate your input. Most enlightening. The videos highlighted the sheer beauty of high quality jade as well as the complexity of identifying true "jade". IMHO, the Darrington Jade Festival might be a good excuse to take a drive in the country and experience jade in a unique venue.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top