Image: <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Cccefalon" title="User:Cccefalon">CEphoto, Uwe Aranas</a> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
cubiccommonSilicates
Agate
SiO2
This image displays a polished agate geode, revealing intricate concentric bands of white, gray, and brownish chalcedony, with its central cavity lined by sparkling, well-formed clear quartz crystals.
Agate Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
7Crystal System
cubicLuster
vitreousStreak Color
WhiteCleavage
NoneFracture
Conchoidal to unevenSpecific Gravity
2.65Colors
white, gray, brown, blue, red, green, yellow, pinkTransparency
Translucent to opaqueType Locality
Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico, USA (many worldwide)Mineral Group
SilicatesUses
jewelry, ornamental objects, carvings, industrial applicationsAssociated Minerals
quartz, calcite, zeolites, chalcedonyRarity
commonGeological Context
Agate typically forms in cavities within volcanic rocks, such as basalt, or sometimes in sedimentary rocks, through the deposition of silica-rich solutions in successive layers, often culminating in larger quartz crystals in the geode's core.
