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Agates, Geodes & ThundereggsFALL SALE 25 - 50% OFF ALL MINERAL SPECIMENS Return to Mineral Specimen Galleries
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AD-105 Chalcedony SOLD Cairo, Al Qahirah Governorate, Egypt 7.5 x 6 x 2 cm. When I was in Egypt in April 2010, I saw many nodules of Jasper and Chalcedony just lying around on the ground out in the desert near Cairo. I wondered why no one has ever offered this material for sale. In 2011, while at the Tucson show, I was fortunate enough to run into a dealer who had some of these nodules for sale. I made a trade with him for two of these specimens. It was explained to me that these colorful nodules are difficult to polish. Jasper is a dense, opaque, microcrystalline variety of Quartz. Or more strictly; Chalcedony and is usually red, brown or yellow and coloured by Iron oxides. I think I chose some good ones, with nice earth-colored tones and interesting banding. One thing that I have noticed in my many years of collecting is that there is not too much available when it comes to Egyptian minerals. These colorful Chalcedony nodules are sometimes called “Sahara Agate”.
AD-238 Agate
var. Carnelian Chandler Mountain, Linn County, OR 6.3 x 4.7 x 3.2 cm Aa colorful example of the variety of Agate, Carnelian. The specimen has fine banding with colorful reddish-orange hues. The face of this specimen has been polished to the point that it has a mirror-like lustre.
AD-226 Quartz
pseudomorph after Apophyllite Summer Storm Claim, Challis, Bay Horse Mining District, Custer County, ID 12.8 x 13.7 x 9 cm A large and fully intact amygdule of Apophyllite crystals that have been completely replaced by Quartz. Also present in this specimen are several flattened Calcite crystals set deep inside the vug. These pseudomorphs were a small find made by John Cornish (Rat's Nest Claim Heulandite) in the early 2000's. This was, according to John, the only intact complete example recovered from this find.
AD-247 Barite
geode (fluorescent) Giralia Range, Carnarvon Shire, Western Australia, Australia 7.8 x 5.3 x 4.5 cm This septarian nodule hails from the Giralia Range, near the western coast of Australia. This specimen features numerous red-orange-colored crystals of Barite. Septarian nodules contain angular cavities or cracks, called “septaria”. This word comes from the Latin word septum, meaning partition. The cavity of this specimen exhibits strong yellow-white fluorescence under both LW and SW illumination.
AD-223 Calcite
& Quartz geode (fluorescent) Juchem Quarry, Niederwörresbach, Birkenfeld, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany 12 x 9.5 x 6.8 cm A very large geode lined with tiny crystals of Quartz upon which rest many golden to red-colored, Hematite included, crystals of Calcite. Rare, old material.
AD-181 Agate Thunderegg SOLD Agate Creek, Etheridge Shire, Queensland, Australia 10 x 6.7 x 2.4 cm A vividly-colored lithophysae (thunderegg) Agate from Australia. The bands of Agate in this nodule are a deep, red-orange color. I've seen a decent quantity of banded Agates from this locality but thundereggs seem to be much more elusive.
AD-106 Chalcedony SOLD Cairo, Al Qahirah Governorate, Egypt 7.8 x 5.9 x 2.1 cm. When I was in Egypt in April 2010, I saw many nodules of Jasper and Chalcedony just lying around on the ground out in the desert near Cairo. I wondered why no one has ever offered this material for sale. In 2011, while at the Tucson show, I was fortunate enough to run into a dealer who had some of these nodules for sale. I made a trade with him for two of these specimens. It was explained to me that these colorful nodules are difficult to polish. Jasper is a dense, opaque, microcrystalline variety of Quartz. Or more strictly; Chalcedony and is usually red, brown or yellow and coloured by Iron oxides. I think I chose some good ones, with nice earth-colored tones and interesting banding. One thing that I have noticed in my many years of collecting is that there is not too much available when it comes to Egyptian minerals. These colorful Chalcedony nodules are sometimes called “Sahara Agate”.
AD-202 Barite
nodule Col de Pré Guittard, Arnayon, Drôme, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France 8.5 x 7.1 x 2.5 cm A Septarian nodule with a core of subhedral crystals of Barite. The Barite has a mild fluorescence. Septarian nodules contain angular cavities or cracks, called “septaria”. This word comes from the Latin word septum, meaning partition.
AD-198 Agate SOLD Amerzgane, Ouarzazate Province, Drâa-Tafilalet Region, Morocco 10.4 x 4.5 x 5.0 A blue-grey & white-hued Agate that exhibits a great parallax. This specimen could easily be mistaken for a Laguna Agate, that's how strikingly it “winks”. A parallax is an effect which is sometimes referred to as “winking”. When a banded Agate forms with close alternating opaque and transparent bands, the light entering the Agate can cast an observable shadow from one opaque band onto the next. As the parallel bands change their perceived angle, the appearance of movement and perception of depth occur. The finer the banding, the more striking this effect is.
AD-184 Agate & Quartz Thunderegg SOLD Lierbach Valley, Oppenau, Black Forest, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 19.5 x 14 x 6.4 cm Here we have a very large example of Agate from Germany's Black Forest. The center of this slate-green-colored Agate is filled with Quartz crystals. The two chambers of this Agate have sparkling Quartz crystals and a red-colored mineral, most likely Hematite. There are many Agate localities all over Germany, but few Agates ever make it to the United States.
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