Snake skin Agate
Snake skin agate is fun to find. It sits right on top of the Mojave Desert floor. It's very weathered from sand and wind exposure. The sample at the top of the page was found in California (1970). Wendell Sedgwick, who was our major collector (my husband's maternal grandfather) took the time to document and label his finds. I don't believe he would have ever imagined what was to become of his life long efforts.
Note: Microcrystalline quartz includes the chalcedony group, which is my favorite to find. Agate, Petrified Wood or fossilized wood, chrysoprase, heliotrope, jasper, cornelian, moss agate, onyx and sard.
Thick Agate Slice
A variety of quartz (silicon dioxide)
Agate from Brazil has a banded variegated look. The bands can be either wavy or straight. Agates are in the quartz family and have a hardness of 7.
Agates have the widest ranges of color. Brazil exports huge quantities of agates. These egg-shaped rocks have beautiful centers are called geodes. Bright blue or pink geode that you see in stores are geodes that have pigment forced into them. These sample are not treated and found in great quantities in Brazil. Agate is used in jewelry making and in stone-ware items.
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