This Northern Minnesota town is a gemstone hunter's dream

MOOSE LAKE, Minn. — Fall is hunting season in Minnesota, but folks walking near the Moose Lake Airport aren't looking for pheasants or deer — they're hunting for a gemstone.

"There's a pretty nice one. Got some nice lines in it," said John, a local agate hunter.

It's a hobby that's been unearthed in Moose Lake, also known as the Agate Capital of the World.

"It's a big deal right here in this area," said Michaela Anderson of the Moose Lake Agate and Geological Center. "If you want to find a good agate, I would say this is generally the area I would suggest going to look for one.

For some people, it's like finding a piece of gold. Some of that "gold" ends up at the Moose Lake Agate and Geological Center. 

Hundreds of thousands of years ago, a glacier created these stones — the silica-rich water helped to give them wavy and colorful lines.

"The glacier spread them literally from what would be Duluth to Cloquet, Barnum, Moose Lake, Hinckley and such. I have found a Lake Superior agate in Hannibal, Missouri," said Roger Biebl, Carlton County Gem and Mineral Club.

Beibl got hooked on agate hunting when he was a kid.

"This is not polished. This is exactly how I found it at 5 years old. I'm 68 now so I've kept this for 63 years," said Beibl while holding up the first agate he ever found. "This actually led me to become a geologist."

Spotting these stones takes a trained eye. Sun helps, but so does rain. They become glass-like when touched by raindrops. Gravel pits and gravel roads around Moose Lake are agate-picking hot spots.

"Along the dirt roads now. It used to be you would never see anybody. Now, after a rain, you might see eight or 10 cars. It's really become popular," said Beibl.

Agates are collectors' items that also hold a lot of value. The bigger and more colorful they are, the more they're worth. Especially when it comes to eye agates, which can be eye-catching.

The town has embraced the stones so much that every summer they have Agate Days, also known as the largest rock show in Minnesota, with over 100 vendors. People show up to buy, trade, polish and cut agates. They also have an agate stampede where they dump hundreds of gemstones in downtown Moose Lake, and let people go hunting for them.

"It is insanity," said Beibl. "We are putting 600 pounds in there. That's about $3,000 worth."

Year-round First National Bank in Moose Lake flaunts a more than 100-pound agate in their entryway.

"This is just eye-catching and I think that's the total thing about agates is just how beautiful they are," said Beibl.

Many vendors at Agate Days turn the gemstones into jewelry, belt buckles, bolo ties and even clocks. Next year's festival will be held July 19 and 20 in Moose Lake.