Fire Agate

Item Description

Mindat.org defines Agate as a variety of Chalcedony, which in turn is a variety of Quartz. There are many different terms used for cryptocrystalline Quartz, and the classification can be a bit confusing, but Agate is essentially a variety of Quartz. One of the rarest forms of Agate - Fire Agate - has been available commercially only in the last 60 years. It's notably different from other agates as it is a brown Agate which with a botryoidal or grape-like growth form, but what's most special about Fire Agate is that it contains layers of plate-like crystals of iron oxide (limonite) in various planes, which create 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 nice example of this well known material, showing gorgeous gold-yellow, orange and slight greenish flashes which dance over the botryoidal forms when rotated under strong lighting. 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, including Bisbee, the Ray Mine, Miami mines, and the Peridot finds on Indian lands in the 1950s-1970s. This stone was kept back from the retail stock for its quality and beauty, in a tray of special material, 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.