Fire Agate (ex Marvin Rockey estate)

Item Description

There are a lot of different styles/varieties of Agate in the world, but the beautiful Fire Agates from the Aguascalientes state of Mexico are without questions some of the best and most well-known examples of any kind of Agate ever found. Most people are used to seeing banded Agate on the market, but Fire Agate is a different animal altogether. This material 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. 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 bright green, gold and orange flashes when rotated in the light. Great quality and size, and a wonderful stone for any collector. This stone 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 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.