Ellensburg is home to the third rarest gemstone found around the world: the Ellensburg Blue Agate. Blues started drawing attention around the 1920s and have become more popular throughout the years, being reclassified to many as a precious gem. The Kittitas Indians were those who first discovered these hidden beauties. Because of its elegance, the tribal chiefs were the only individuals allowed to wear this magnificent gem until they became distributed.
These rare stones were formed in the sedimentary rock found near the Teanaway basalt. Formed by fluid, dense with minerals, flowing into the cracks found in the sedimentary stone, the stones were then transformed into veins of agate. After some time, these veins would erode and conform to the Ellensburg Blue Agate we see today. After formation, the stones were transported to the Ellensburg area by an extinct river that flowed through the Grand Canyon Notch many years ago. This area of the Grand Canyon can be found northwest of Ellensburg. That said, by around the 1940s, the agate beds had become depleted from rock hunters and tourists trudging around the soil, searching for the Blue Agate. High traffic in the past has caused the hunt for the Ellensburg gem to become more challenging with a rare chance of success.