The Story Behind the Stones: Our Rock & Agate Contest Winners

For 4 weeks we searched high and low for the best agate and heart rocks of Haida Gwaii! At the end of the month we were not disappointed and received nearly 40 entries! We are grateful to everyone who participated and contributed their beautiful rocks and the beautiful stories that went along with them.

The idea behind this contest initially began after thinking about how we could do something fun for our local customers during the winter. We wanted something for all Haida Gwaiians to participate in and feel proud of! And what makes an islander prouder than that cool rock collection sitting in the front entrance of their home? We know you have one! You probably also have jars overflowing with beach glass, fancy vases filled with eagle feathers, and if you’re really lucky, you might have a glass ball or two! Showing off the gifts and cool rocks Haida Gwaii has given us and swapping stories when we have guests over for dinner is one of our greatest pass times. Why wouldn’t it be? We live on a rock after all!

So now you may be wondering, what is it that makes an agate or heart-shaped rock eligible for winning such a competition? We’re glad you asked! Because the Crystal Cabin Family are longtime rock collectors and enthusiasts, we came up with some top criteria about what makes a rock so special:

First, we judged each entry based on size and shape. In this case, we didn’t put a larger rock over a small one simply for the size, but rather, how interesting is the shape?

Next, we looked at the colour of each entry. Is the colour rare? Are there visible bands around the agate?

We then looked for any unique factors that may be added to the rock. Some entries contained quartz! Some were heart rocks and agate! There are literally no two rocks the same.

Lastly, we, of course, learned the story behind each rock. Entries came with hearts of gratitude and love from finding the stones in special places or found with people they love. This part was truly the most touching to read and made all the rocks incredibly special.

Here are some of our favourite rock stories that were submitted:

From Faustine: “I found my rock on a Tinder Date. He came all the way from Vancouver Island. I took him agate hunting on the beach as one of my favourite romantic things to do. I gave him each Agate I found except this one. Somehow, I took that as a sign I wasn’t that smitten. I didn’t find Love that day but I found this sweet heart shaped Agate. I found it on a beach close to some old shipwrecks. No body ever thinks to go Agate hunting there but it’s my favourite spot. I think my Heart rock is unique because of its fiery red and orange colour. I also like that it’s both stone and Agate. It has a yin yang quality to it of having areas of dark, where the light can’t shine through and bright fiery orangey red, where the light can shine through.”

From Gwaaganad, Diane Brown: “I found my beautiful black agate on the beach in front of Yan Village while filming the movie “Edge of the Knife”.”

From Lianne Trempier: “This is my tell-tale heart rock. It was locked in my shed for 6 years beating away until I cut the lock!”

From Kim Nemanishen: “Found on the Tlell Beach on August 4, 2015 after Dr. Don helped my “Best Furry Friend” of 11 years follow the light and cross over the “Rainbow Bridge”.”

Haida Gwaii Agate By Jags Brown: This was made from two agate slices Jags found in our shop! The first one we all agreed looked like a heart, until Jags pointed out that it looked like the top half of Haida Gwaii-Graham Island! He went back to search through our agate collection and excitedly said “I found it! I found it!”. He brought another agate up to the counter and fit it with the other one. Together they looked exactly like Haida Gwaii! The bottom half even looked like a raised part of land; kind of like Moresby Mountain! Awesome eye and great find Jags!

💙Announcing the top 3 heart-shaped rocks on Haida Gwaii!💙

Congratulations to: Sian, Ben and Bill! You rock!

💎Announcing the top 3 agates on Haida Gwaii! 💎

Congratulations to: Roman, Al, and Lianne.

If you want to check out the entire collection that was so generously shared, you can do so here.

We thank you for participating in the Crystal Cabin Rock Contest this winter!

Are you an aspiring rock and agate collector that wants to learn more about Agate hunting? Do you have a trip planned to visit our Agate-filled beaches in 2018? Just want to learn more about Agates? If you answered yes to any of these questions, our new handbook entitled Agate Collecting with Dutes: Your Guide to Finding Agates in Haida Gwaii is for you! You can easily order this handbook online!