The Rio Grande River valley has been hunted for agate since the 1950s. The valley gravels are widespread, covering an area up to 50 miles east of the river. This talk will touch on the history of the river itself and the tributaries it captured. A discussion of the Uvalde gravel will be included, with its importance to gravel distribution. Photographs of the different kinds of agates found in the gravels will illustrate the wide variety and quality of material!

About Stephen Blyskal: Stephen is a retired petroleum geologist and a mineral collector with 60 years in the hobby. He also collects Texas petrified wood and agate in areas across the state. He has been an HGMS (Houston Gem & Mineral Society) member since 1977 and is the chairman of the Mineral Section of HGMS, a group dedicated to the study of mineral crystals and how they form.

Stephen is also a lapidary, cutting and polishing agate and other semi-precious materials, and has assembled a personal collection of over 4000 cataloged mineral specimens, including many special interest areas (like Texas Minerals).