Fire Agate

Item Description

Agate is defined as a variety of Chalcedony or cryptocrystlaline Quartz which typically forms in layers in a variety of colors and textures. While Agate has been used for thousands of years for lapidary purposes, one of the rarest forms of Agate - Fire Agate - has been available commercially only in the last 60 years. Fire Agate is a brown Agate which has a botryoidal or grape-like growth form. The defining characteristic of these stones is that they contains layers of plate-like crystals of iron oxide (limonite) in various planes, creating iridescent colors of red, gold, green and, occasionally, blue-violet, resulting from interference between diffracted light rays traveling through and reflecting from these thin layers. High quality Fire Agates can be as impressive in their play of color as fine Black Opal, but Fire Agate is significantly more durable than Opal. Fire Agate is suitable for any kind of jewelry, including rings. This "Freeform Cabochon" is a beautiful example of this well known material, showing bright gold, green and blue flashes (with a VERY tiny amount of the highly desirable PURPLE hue) when rotated in the light, which dance over the botyroidal forms. Great quality and size, and a wonderful stone for any collector. This stone, as with others we will be presenting here, is from the estate of former Phoenix area dealer Marvin Rockey. Rockey's Gems was a significant business in the early days of Arizona lapidary material, and he was a prominent dealer and buyer in the Arizona area of local lapidary and carving material from throughout the state, along with material from Mexican localities. This stone was was kept back from the retail stock for its quality and beauty, in a tray of special gems, and was found in his estate (sold to us only recently). Today, these are not only rarely seen but of a highly desirable old quality, and sought after by collectors and gem / jewelry enthusiasts alike.