Chilliwack, BC · October 18, 2026 · Kris Krüg

A Hundred Stones on a Black Towel

Chilliwack field notes, October 18, 2026. A gravel-bar haul, ten photographs, and a lot of provisional names.

The numbered identifications are provisional, from an AI-assisted photo review. No physical tests are recorded. Jade, aventurine and agate remain unconfirmed.

Go to the 100-stone guide ↓

Chilliwack collection, source view 1: the same stones from another angle — Sorted by colour on a black towel. Ten views of the same collection.

The haul on the towel

I found these stones on a gravel bar in Chilliwack on October 18. Laid out on a black towel, the collection falls into reds, greens and a whole spread of whites. Ten photographs cover the haul from different angles.

My first questions were pretty basic. Are the red ones jasper? Could any of the greens be aventurine or jade? And what have I got in that white pile: agate, quartz, something else?

The later photo review counted 100 distinct stones. There are 52 coloured or mixed pieces and 48 in the white group. Every stone now has a number, so “that little red one” can become a useful conversation.

The reds and the stripey ones

#7 is the mustard-and-red piece. The photo review puts jasper or iron-stained chert at the top of its list. Fine pale veins run through those warm colour patches. It belongs near the front of the collection.

#26 is the long red pebble with sweeping curved bands. Another jasper or chert candidate, although a banded volcanic or sedimentary rock remains possible. #18 and #42 bring the red-and-white veinwork: branching lines on one, a more broken-up pattern on the other.

Then there's #10, with those bold dark stripes. Its working identification is a banded sedimentary rock that may have been metamorphosed. The pattern alone earns it a place. #47 and #48, the spotted green-grey pieces, are possible porphyritic volcanic rocks, with pale crystal-like flecks in a darker body.

Green questions, white questions

#44 is the green one to follow up. Dark body, sweeping pale bands, smooth surface. Greenstone or green chert leads the current shortlist. Serpentinite is another possibility. Jade remains unconfirmed, and it isn't the leading guess.

Most of the white group looks like milky quartz or quartzite in the photographs. #69 stands out for its translucent appearance, with quartz ahead of possible chalcedony. #91 has honey-white colour and a working identification of iron-stained vein quartz.

The photographs haven't established aventurine or agate either. Those names stay in the question column.

Next on the bench

These identifications came from an AI-assisted review of the photographs after the outing. No physical tests are recorded. Chilliwack is the recorded locality; the exact river and gravel bar haven't been recorded.

Next move: measure #44's density with a scale reading to 0.01 g, then add the result to its numbered entry. That can help narrow the candidates. It won't settle the jade question by itself.

The collection

A number for every stone

Photo 10 is the numbering key

Select a number for the best guess, an alternative and the visible clues. Favourites mark colour, pattern or a useful follow-up, not confirmed mineral value.

Pull aside first

Search stones

Favourites only Show numbers

100 of 100 stones

Slide the photograph sideways to reach every number.

Overhead numbering key showing all 100 Chilliwack stones on a black towel

Stone 7

★ A favourite

Tentative visual shortlist

Yellow-red jasper / iron-stained chert

Also possible: Silicified fine-grained volcanic rock

Smooth mustard and red colour patches with fine pale veins; one of the strongest jasper candidates.

First pick for colour and possible jasper polishing.

Full catalog · 100 matching stones

The search and filters above also apply here. Every entry is a tentative visual shortlist.

All matching stones with provisional identifications, alternatives and visual clues
Best guess	Alternative	Visible clues
Pink quartzite with a pale vein	Banded red chert	Large pale-pink pebble with a broad white band and fine granular-looking skin.
Veined red quartzite or silicified sedimentary rock	Red chert	Large flattened mauve cobble with many pale cross-cutting veinlets; grain size is unresolved.
Reddish quartzite	Fine-grained volcanic rock	Pale granular-looking rind around a red interior; the weathered surface obscures texture.
Serpentinite candidate	Altered greenstone; nephrite is a lower-ranked possibility	Large mottled green cobble with irregular pale vein networks. Colour and a smooth skin do not establish jade.
Veined green-grey metasedimentary rock	Bedded green chert	Parallel pale seams and a few cross-cutting veins; no visible agate-style cavity bands.
Laminated siltstone or argillite	Banded chert or fine volcanic rock	Close parallel light-dark laminae. Wood-like appearance alone is insufficient; no wood cells or growth rings are resolved.
Yellow-red jasper / iron-stained chert	Silicified fine-grained volcanic rock	Smooth mustard and red colour patches with fine pale veins; one of the strongest jasper candidates.
Porphyritic volcanic rock	Weathered red chert with pits	Numerous pale flecks and dark pits in a red groundmass favour a volcanic texture over uniform jasper.
Fine-speckled greenstone	Green quartzite or fine intrusive rock	Evenly scattered pale grains in a green-grey matrix. No distinctive mica-flash evidence for aventurine.
Banded metasedimentary rock	Ribbon chert	Repeated dark stripes across the whole pebble resemble bedding. A standout display stone; not enough evidence for agate.
Pink-grey quartzite	Fine sandstone or chert	Small pale rounded pebble with a uniformly granular-looking surface.
Pink quartzite	Silicified sandstone	Pale, evenly speckled oval; more granular-looking than the dense red chert candidates.
Altered volcanic rock with a red patch	Brecciated chert with pale mineral fill	Mixed grey-green and pink areas plus a rough cavity; too heterogeneous for a simple jasper call.
Red chert / jasper candidate	Very fine red metasedimentary rock	Compact, relatively uniform red body with fine pale veinlets; a promising solid-colour keeper.
Pink quartzite	Red chert	Fine pale speckling on a pink surface; actual grain texture remains unclear.
Veined red chert	Pink quartzite	Angular outline and pale crack-filling veins through a compact pink-red body.
Dark red chert / jasper	Fine-grained red volcanic rock	Dense-looking burgundy body, smooth faces and thin white veinlets; good small keeper.
Veined red chert / jasper	Veined red quartzite	Attractive branching pale vein network across a rounded red pebble; fractures may matter if later polished.
Fine pink quartzite	Red chert	Small pale-pink oval with fine speckling; not enough detail to distinguish grains from weathering.
Fine greenstone	Green chert	Small blue-green oval with dispersed pale dots and a light rind.
Altered greenstone, possibly epidote-rich	Serpentinite; nephrite is not established	Pistachio-green granular-looking body, dark patch and a prominent vein or crack.
Green altered volcanic rock	Chlorite-rich quartzite or schist	Elongate pale-green speckled pebble; visible heterogeneity is more suggestive of a mixed rock than uniform jade.
Pale pink-grey quartzite	Fine sandstone	Evenly granular-looking pale oval.
Purple-red chert	Argillite	Smooth dark body, thin white vein and a small chipped edge; a stronger fine-silica candidate.
Banded pink quartzite	Banded red chert	Pale pink pebble with several near-parallel light bands; no clear cavity-filling structure.
Banded red chert / jasper candidate	Flow-banded volcanic rock or laminated siltstone	Long red pebble with sweeping curved bands. Excellent pattern; curvature alone does not prove agate.
Veined greenstone	Green quartzite	Pale granular speckling and a white cross-cutting vein in a green-grey body.
Fine-speckled greenstone	Green quartzite	Rounded grey-green pebble with abundant fine pale grains.
Veined serpentinite or greenstone	Green chert	Dark green-grey mottling cut by pale veins; the surface does not resolve a diagnostic mineral texture.
Pale green chert	Fine greenstone; compact serpentine is possible	Relatively uniform body with thin white veins, but no fresh fracture is shown.
Red chert / jasper	Fine red argillite	Small smooth red pebble crossed by thin pale lines; an attractive compact silica candidate.
Yellow-red jasper / chert	Iron-stained quartz-rich volcanic rock	Small angular pebble with contrasting warm colour patches and a pale seam.
Brecciated red chert / jasper	Reddish volcanic breccia	Irregular red patches and pale healed fractures; a good small patterned candidate.
Veined red chert	Fine volcanic rock	Small pink-red pebble with a dark oblique seam and limited visible texture.
Ochre jasper / iron-stained chert	Iron-stained fine sandstone	Mustard-yellow body with a few pits; texture is too small to resolve conclusively.
Porphyritic greenstone	Fine diorite	Distinct white spots or crystals in a dark green matrix.
Spotted altered volcanic rock	Epidote-bearing fine intrusive rock	Mottled pale green pebble with darker small spots; resembles a mixed crystalline rock.
Green-inclusion-bearing quartz-rich pebble	Mottled altered volcanic rock	Pale body with irregular green internal-looking patches. Moss-like appearance alone does not establish moss agate.
Green chert candidate	Fine greenstone	Small smooth green pebble with pale fine veins and no obvious large crystals.
Quartz-rich rock with dark inclusions	Pale altered volcanic rock	Small rough white-and-grey mottled piece; appears heterogeneous rather than uniform jade.
Fine porphyritic volcanic rock	Dark weathered chert	Dark rounded pebble with small pale dots and a lighter weathered border.
Brecciated red chert / jasper with pale veins	Veined volcanic rock	Strong red-white contrast and irregular pale mineral fill make this an appealing small keeper.
Red chert / jasper with weathered rind	Silicified volcanic rock	Angular red interior-looking patch surrounded by a paler skin; one of the better jasper follow-ups.
Fine greenstone or green chert	Serpentinite; nephrite is worth testing but not the leading call	Dark green pebble with sweeping pale bands and a smooth wet-looking surface. Best green follow-up specimen, not confirmed jade.
Green chert candidate	Fine greenstone	Tiny compact angular green piece; too little surface detail for a firm call.
Pale green chert candidate	Fine greenstone or compact serpentine	Elongate smooth pale-green pebble; uniform appearance but no diagnostic fracture or mineral habit.
Porphyritic volcanic rock	Amygdaloidal volcanic rock	Many large pale spots in a dark green matrix. Some look like crystals; others could be mineral-filled vesicles.
Porphyritic volcanic rock	Volcanic breccia	Angular pale crystal-like flecks in a green-grey fine matrix; an excellent texture specimen.
Altered porphyritic volcanic rock	Mottled quartz-rich metamorphic rock	Mixed pale-green and pink areas with a speckled texture; exact minerals are unresolved.
Pale porphyritic volcanic rock	Fine granitoid	Abundant pale crystalline-looking flecks in a grey matrix; not a uniform quartz pebble.
Fine sedimentary or metamorphic pebble with dark seams	Fine quartzite	Cream-grey oval with curved hairline dark markings. No diagnostic fossil or agate structure is visible.
Vein quartz with host-rock inclusions	Quartz-rich granitoid or metamorphic rock	Rough white-grey mass with coarse-looking quartz patches and darker host material.
Iron-stained quartz pebble	Pale quartzite	Tiny cream-tan pebble; too small in these views for a diagnostic texture.
Iron-stained vein quartz	Quartz-rich mixed rock	White and honey-brown mottling suggests a quartz-rich pebble with surface staining.
Milky quartz	White quartzite	Small white triangular pebble with a faint internal-looking streak; no visible bands.
Milky quartz	Pale chalcedony	Small smooth whitish pebble with a slightly translucent-looking edge.
Iron-stained quartzite	Stained vein quartz	Rounded yellow-cream pebble with a fairly uniform dull surface.
Tan quartzite	Iron-stained vein quartz	Warm tan, rounded pebble with a fine sugary-looking surface in the closer view.
Quartz with dark inclusions	Quartz-rich mixed rock	White pebble contains visible dark flecks and rusty patches.
Milky quartz	Quartz-rich mixed pebble	Small grey-white pebble has cloudy patches and a few darker inclusions.
Quartz-rich pebble	Fine-grained pale rock with a quartz vein	Small angular grey-white piece appears mottled rather than uniformly glassy.
Milky vein quartz	White quartzite	White triangular pebble shows a conspicuous pale fracture or vein-like line.
Cream quartzite	Iron-stained quartz	Small elongated cream pebble has a uniformly fine, dull surface.
Milky quartz with inclusions	Quartz-rich mixed rock	Whitish rounded pebble has a pale brown central patch and irregular cloudy texture.
Translucent quartz fragment	Pale chalcedony	Small grey-clear piece shows a comparatively glassy, chipped-looking face.
Milky quartz	White quartzite	Small rounded white pebble with even colour and no obvious banding.
Quartz-rich mixed pebble	Stained vein quartz	Tiny pale mottled pebble contains darker grey-brown material.
Milky quartz with inclusions	Pale quartzite	Small cream-white oval carries faint darker streaks or inclusions.
Translucent vein quartz	Grey chalcedony	Angular grey-clear pebble has more visible fracture surfaces than the rounded whites; no diagnostic agate bands.
Cloudy quartz	Pale quartzite	Small oval grey-white pebble appears cloudy and slightly translucent in the close view.
Milky quartz	White quartzite	Small white rounded pebble has a fairly uniform cloudy appearance.
Vein quartz	Pale quartzite	Squarish grey-white pebble shows cloudy zones and intersecting pale internal-looking lines.
Milky quartz fragment	Quartz-veined pale rock	Elongated double-lobed piece has a conspicuous fracture and contrasting white zones.
Iron-stained quartz	Pale quartzite	Cream pebble contains a localized honey-brown patch rather than continuous agate banding.
Milky vein quartz	White quartzite	Elongated white pebble has cloudy translucent-looking areas and pale fracture lines.
Cloudy vein quartz	Grey quartzite	Irregular pale grey pebble shows a brighter white edge and cloudy interior.
Milky quartz	White quartzite	Small rounded triangular white pebble has a uniformly cloudy face.
White quartzite	Milky vein quartz	Rounded squarish pebble has a pale granular-looking surface in the closer view.
Pale quartzite	Cloudy vein quartz	Flat teardrop-shaped grey-white pebble has an even fine-grained-looking surface.
Iron-stained quartzite	Iron-stained vein quartz	Large cream-tan pebble has a sugary-looking surface and one darker orange spot.
Tan quartzite	Iron-stained vein quartz	Uniform tan oval shows fine pale speckling; no visible agate banding.
Cloudy quartz with inclusions	Pale quartzite	Triangular grey-white piece has uneven cloudy patches and a small darker inclusion.
Milky vein quartz	White quartzite	Rounded white piece has irregular pale internal-looking fractures in the close view.
Iron-stained milky quartz	White quartzite with staining	White rounded pebble has localized yellow staining around part of its edge.
Cloudy vein quartz	Pale quartzite	Elongated grey-white pebble shows translucent-looking cloudy zones without distinct bands.
Milky quartz	White quartzite	Rounded triangular cream-white pebble shows an irregular cloudy surface.
White quartzite	Milky vein quartz	Very rounded white pebble has a fine sugary-looking texture and slight beige staining.
Milky quartz	White quartzite	Small smooth oval is uniformly milky white; the purple highlight follows the lighting.
Milky quartz	White quartzite	Large kidney-shaped white pebble appears cloudy and massive with no visible bands.
Cream quartzite	Iron-stained vein quartz	Curved cream pebble has a fine granular-looking surface and a dark line across its notch.
Iron-stained vein quartz	Quartz-rich breccia	Chunky white-and-honey pebble has conspicuous irregular veining or fractured-looking internal texture.
Milky quartz	White quartzite	Rounded white pebble shows a cloudy, fairly uniform face without clear agate banding.
White quartzite	Milky vein quartz	Rounded white pebble has a finely speckled sugary-looking surface.
Iron-stained milky quartz	Stained white quartzite	Large triangular white pebble has cloudy grey and beige patches rather than regular bands.
Milky quartz	White quartzite	Large rounded white pebble has a cloudy massive face and minor surface pits.
White quartzite	Milky vein quartz	Elongated white pebble has a fine sugary-looking surface with one pale edge seam.
White quartzite	Milky vein quartz	Large white oval has a fairly uniform fine granular-looking surface.
Milky quartz	White quartzite	White oval shows a few faint fractures and inclusions but no visible agate banding.
Milky quartz	White quartzite	White oval pebble has cloudy zones and a few darker flecks near one edge.
White quartzite	Milky vein quartz	Large white oval has an even fine sugary-looking surface in the close photograph.

Download the complete 100-stone catalog (CSV)

Next on the bench

A density test for #44

Use a scale that reads to 0.01 g. This cup-on-scale method estimates specific gravity (SG); it can narrow the shortlist but cannot identify jade by itself.

Weigh the clean, dry stone. Record its mass as A.
Put a cup of water on the scale and tare it to zero.
Suspend the stone fully underwater from a support independent of the scale. Keep it off the cup's sides and bottom, and remove trapped bubbles.
Record the increase on the scale as B. Estimate SG = A ÷ B. Repeat to check the reading.

Around 2.5–2.7 can fit lighter serpentine-rich material, quartz or chert. Around 2.9–3.1 can fit nephrite, but greenstone, epidote-bearing rocks, rodingite and prehnite-bearing material overlap parts of that range. A number in the jade range is a reason to investigate, not a jade identification.

Do not dry-grind or cut possible serpentinite before it is identified; some varieties contain hazardous fibres. Start with this non-destructive test.

Reference: GIA, jade identification and properties

Original photographs · all 10 views

These show the same collection from different angles. Numbers refer only to the overhead key in Photo 10.

Chilliwack collection, source view 2: the same stones from another angle — Photo 2 · Open original

Chilliwack collection, source view 3: the same stones from another angle — Photo 3 · Open original

Chilliwack collection, source view 4: the same stones from another angle — Photo 4 · Open original

Chilliwack collection, source view 5: the same stones from another angle — Photo 5 · Open original

Chilliwack collection, source view 6: the same stones from another angle — Photo 6 · Open original

Chilliwack collection, source view 7: the same stones from another angle — Photo 7 · Open original

Chilliwack collection, source view 8: the same stones from another angle — Photo 8 · Open original

Chilliwack collection, source view 9: the same stones from another angle — Photo 9 · Open original