Fire Agate

Item Description

A lovely example of the eautiful Fire Agates from the Aguascalientes state of Mexico. These distinctive stones are instantly recognizable and without question the best and most well-known examples of Fire Agate ever found. Agate is defined as a form of Chalcedony or microcrystalline Quartz which forms in layers in a remarkable variety of colors and textures. The most familiar form Agate is the banded agate which has multicolored layers. 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. What is special about Fire Agate is that it contains layers of plate-like crystals of iron oxide (limonite) in various planes. The iridescent colors of red, gold, green and, occasionally, blue-violet, result 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 flashes of green, gold and orange when rotated in the light.