Fire Agate

Item Description

Agate is a form of chalcedony or microcrystalline quartz which forms in layers in a remarkable variety of colors and textures. The most familiar 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. This material is essentially a brown Agate which has a botryoidal or "cluster" 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 / layers. In good lighting, one can see iridescent colors of red, gold, green and, occasionally, blue-violet, which appear as a 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 "Oval" Cabochon cut gem is a beautiful example of this well known material, showing banded layers with flashes of gold and orange when rotated in the light. Good quality and size, and perfect for any collector who wants an affordable stone of this material.