Leland Blue is slag, the glassy waste from the iron works that operated at Leland, Michigan, from 1870 to 1885. Blue is the most common color, but pieces can also be gray, green or purple, and they are often pockmarked and full of crevices left from cooling. Beachcombers search the Leland shoreline for it in every season, and many collectors make jewelry from it.
Is this leland blue?
3-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Read the textureLook at a fresh break with a hand lens. Texture: Glassy; often pockmarked and full of crevices left from cooling. Grain size: glassy.
- 2Pick out the mineralsComposition: Iron-smelting slag glass. Identify the two or three most abundant grains.
- 3Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: blue, gray, green, purple.
All properties
- Uses
- Jewelry, Collector
- Host rock
- Beaches around Leland, Michigan, near the former Leland iron works (1870 to 1885)
- Texture
- Glassy; often pockmarked and full of crevices left from cooling
- Grain size
- glassy
- Composition
- Iron-smelting slag glass
Where rockhounds find leland blue
4 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Leland, Leelanau County, Michigan
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: Beaches around Leland, Michigan, near the former Leland iron works (1870 to 1885). In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Michigan, Indiana. Start trip planning there.
Common questions
Where is leland blue found?+
Can I find leland blue in the United States?+
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Find leland blue on the map
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