MINERAL OF THE MONTH
June 2007: Lake Superior Michipicoten Agate
The mineral of the month is a Lake Superior Michipicoten agate. When a newspaper article was published in 1958 featuring the museum founder, Axel Niemi, and his 5.5 pound agate, Axel received a letter from Mrs. J. Oldenkomp. She had seen the article and asked Axel if he was interested in buying an agate that she inherited from her grandfather. Apparently, he had found the agate on Michipicoten Island, located in the northeast part of Lake Superior. As was common practice back then, he had the agate cut and polished. The lapidariest received half the agate in payment, and the Oldenkomp family kept the other half. Before cutting, the agate weighed over 8 pounds!
Axel and Mrs. Oldenkomp haggled over the price of the agate for 7 years before Axel finally purchased the specimen in 1965. The letters documenting this purchase are posted in the museum. Unfortunately, Axel cut out the price in the letter so we’ll never know how much he paid for this beauty.
Mineral of the Month Archives
May 2007: Rainbow Fluorite
June 2007: Lake Superior Michipicoten Agate
July 2007: Labadorite
August 2007: Rain Flower Agate
Fall 2007: Malachite
December 2007: Nepheline Syenite
January 2008: Native Copper
February 2008: Amazonite
March 2008: Lake Superior Agate
April 2008: Shadow Agate
May 2008: Apohpylite
June 2008: Ocean Jasper
Summer 2008: Marra Mamba Tiger's Eye
September 2008: Mohawkite
October 2008: Mexican opal
November 2008: Prehnite
December 2008: Picture Jasper
January 2009: Sea Shell Jasper
February 2009: Polychrome Jasper
March 2009: Selenite Desert Rose
Spring 2009: Coyamito Agate
July 2009: Obsidian Needles
August 2009: Goethite
September 2009: Banded Iron Formation
Fall 2009: Fairburn Agate
March 2010: Fossilized Dinosaur Bone
April/May: 2010 Kentucky Agate
June 2010: Nantan Meteorite
July 2010: Mookaite Jasper
Aug/Sept 2010: Polyhedroid Agate
Fall 2010: Ammonite Fossil
September 2011: Petoskey Stones
Spring 2011: Petrfied Wood
Winter 2011: Argentina Condor Agate
January 2012: Mary Ellen Jasper
March 2012: Mexican Crazy Lace Agate
June 2012: Moqui Marbles
September 2012: Chlorastrolite Greenstone
March 2013: Jacobsville Sandstone
August 2013: Unakite
November 2013: Skip-an-Atom Agate
April 2014: Tiger's Eye
September 2014: Black Corundum
February 2015: Condor Agate
June 2015: Petoskey Stone
November 2015: Slag
June 2016: Lake Superior Copper Replacement Agates
March 2017: Chert
July 2017: Kona Dolomite
December 2017: Septarian Nodule
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Gitche Gumee Museum.
E21739 Brazel Street
Grand Marais, Michigan 49839
