Scenic Agate

[valeria101]

So, what is it all about ? Just in case, scenic agate - are plaques of agate that show instantly recognizable landscapes and figures. Jasper and some other stones produce the occasional scenic sliver - but other than agate are all opaque (instead of translucent) and do not normally accept high polish. To the best of my knowledge, the US with it's dozens of jasper and agate celebrities is the best place to look for scenic stones.

A perfectly painted landscape is definitely unusual. And they get good enough to make you look for the painter's signature. Especially the larger pieces.

Here's one - a bit of agate looking like a landscape with almost scholarly perspective. The pin comes from Faberge (ADIN). These have been made as small jewels using agate.

Are you surprised that these stones keep being rediscovered ? I can definitely understand there is a timeless appeal to them. Modern examples are made by Rob Greene and likely others I know nothing of.

 

[glitterata]

Oooo, I have one of those! Not as nice as that masterpiece, but pretty good--mine looks like a line of trees, possibly by a road or a river. I''ll post a picture as soon as I get the camera recharged. Maybe somebody can help me identify where and when it was made. (I bought it on ebay.)

 

[glitterata]

Okay, let''s see if this works--I tried to attach a picture of the pin.

 

[glitterata]

Okay, this might have worked--I hope!

 

[glitterata]

Looking at it now, it looks more like trees seen over the top of a hill than along a road.

Here''s the back.

The pin is unmarked, although it looks as if someone scratched some numbers on the back. Any idea of the age or origin, anyone?

 

[glitterata]

Hey, where did Ana''s beautiful picture go? Now it''s not showing up on my screen!

 

[valeria101]

No idea... the file still appears to be attached to the post. The link works however.

I think you pin contains a cab of Montana dendritic agate. At least it does lok that way, even though dark dendrites on white can be found elsewhere.

There is not much better I can do through the web than point to a source of refference pics. For Montana agate there is likely no better than Harmons'' they even have a book on this famous kind.

 

[Cave Keeper]

Date: 10/29/2004 11:13

2 AM
Author:valeria101

So, what is it all about ? Just in case, scenic agate - are plaques of agate that show instantly recognizable landscapes and figures. Jasper and some other stones produce the occasional scenic sliver - but other than agate are all opaque (instead of translucent) and do not normally accept high polish. To the best of my knowledge, the US with it''s dozens of jasper and agate celebrities is the best place to look for scenic stones.

A perfectly painted landscape is definitely unusual. And they get good enough to make you look for the painter''s signature. Especially the larger pieces.

Here''s one - a bit of agate looking like a landscape with almost scholarly perspective. The pin comes from Faberge (ADIN). These have been made as small jewels using agate.

Are you surprised that these stones keep being rediscovered ? I can definitely understand there is a timeless appeal to them. Modern examples are made by Rob Greene and likely others I know nothing of.

Beg your pardon, but did you mean only the blackish bottom part that looks like a pin came from Faberge, or did you mean the entire piece, including the picture agate, diamonds and frame?

Wow, what a wonderful piece! Reminds me of Constable.

 

[valeria101]

Hm... not sure I understand the Q.

There is a better description of this piece down the "ADIN" link in my original message.

 

[pyramid]

Ooh, the scenic agate is really beautiful. I have never seen this before and will have to look out for it now

 

[Cave Keeper]

Date: 11/3/2004 10:52:56 AM
Author: valeria101
Hm... not sure I understand the Q.

There is a better description of this piece down the ''ADIN'' link in my original message.

Thanks, should have looked at the ADIN link first. There, I realised the entire brooch was by Faberge. The bottom blackish part is actually the brooch''s shadow, I think.

Wow, look at its price - $9K+.

 

[valeria101]

So... I didn''t know about ''Indian river agate''. No idea what to say... it could be a long time looking for something like this with no (other) reliable source. I used to find more fine dendritic agate in auction catalogs than anywhere else. Until today

 

[movie zombie]

love them all! there is some jasper also that mimics distant mountains and/or deserts. can''t remember what its called.

peace, movie zombie

 

[MissAva]

Date: 12/6/2005 5:22:28 PM
Author: valeria101

So... I didn''t know about ''Indian river agate''. No idea what to say... it could be a long time looking for something like this with no (other) reliable source. I used to find more fine dendritic agate in auction catalogs than anywhere else. Until today

The circular one in the center....

wow!

 

[widget]

Lordy....these stones are SO SO cool (or is it kewl?)

Anyhoo....I LOVE ''EM!!

 

[Kaleigh]

As storm would say they are kewl, way kewl. I''ve never seen anything like them.

 

[valeria101]

What would you guys do with them?

The ovals are 2 x 3 cm and the round almost 3cm.


Initially I was looking to have a pair like these made, but the size is nowhere close and I can't stand slicing them either.
Of course I had to see those earrings below ages after they were sold. And the chips on the edges were't quite convincing, so to speak...

 

[movie zombie]

the round will make an awesome pendant!

peace, movie zombie

ps i like the earrings and think you could use that design for the round.

 

[rainbowtrout]

It looks rather like some sort of sediment or darker mineral grew along with the stone, making a fractal-esque pattern. Probably just making this up though, if anyone knows how they actually form I''d be interested.

Anyone have the software to analyze the patterns to see if they are actually fractals?

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 12/7/2005 1:42:26 PM
Author: rainbowtrout
It looks rather like some sort of sediment or darker mineral grew along with the stone, making a fractal-esque pattern.

That''s basically what happened. The markings are caused by infiltration of solutions carrying iron and manganese into cracks in the stone. The minerals are deposited as thin films of oxide, producing black, brown or red dendrites that ''grow'' into many interesting fern or tree-like forms. I''ve never investigated the mechanism of their ''growth,'' but they occur in a wide range of appearances and in many different kinds of quartz and other stones. As with Yellowstone River or "Montana" agate the cracks often are healed with additional deposits of clear agate. Dendrites also occur in cracks of opaque basic rocks where water has percolated. I''ve also found dendrites occasionally in opaque jaspers but there''s another kind of ''picture jasper'' that''s formed by an entirely different process.

Dendritic quartzes/chalcedonies were historically known as Mocha Stone, from the port of Mocha on the Arabian peninsula where they originated. (Actually they probably came from India over the Silk Road: there was far more trade with India in pre-Roman times than is generally acknowledged.) They were also known as "moss agates," but that term has changed to specify an entirely different type of agate that exhibits a true moss-like appearance like the famous green moss agate, also found in India''s Deccan traprocks. Similar "moss agates" occur in many other locations around the world.

If I can find a moment I''ll shoot and post some photographs of various kinds of dendrites and mosses from my own collection.

Richard M.

 

[valeria101]

... this was written in the same time as Richard M's post by concidence.

Date: 12/7/2005 1:42:26 PM
Author: rainbowtrout

It looks rather like some sort of sediment or darker mineral grew along with the stone, making a fractal-esque pattern. Probably just making this up though, if anyone knows how they actually form I'd be interested.

Anyone have the software to analyze the patterns to see if they are actually fractals?

I have seen this sort of study - not that I went into details enough to recount here, those fractals are somewhat familiar, mineralogy not so. I do not know if there is an English version of the paper (written in Romanian).

The patterns can be artificially induced and you may find dendritic chalcedony treated this way. The artificial patters are allot more symmetrical and simple and are never associated with other types of inclusions or growth patters for obvious reasons. The treatment meant to make translucent chalcedony resemble dendritic or moss agate is mentioned by Liddicoat (1966-67) and Fischer (1991). Online, there is a story of this on Ganoskin.

I wish I had an example - but these (cool) treatments are almost never disclosed as the price of chalcedony is not that high... and most don't care.

This is about all I know. Aside everyone's sheer fascination with these stones. These agates must be the most fab 'conversation piece'. Almost every scientist I know wants to explain them on sight!

 

[MJO]

Hi Ana,

I guess I shouldn''t have told you about Gemlineinc, it''s going to cost me more now to get some of the stones I want . I have bought a few of these Dendrite Agates and they are pretty and interesting. I do feel they are cheap for what you are getting, a real picture painted by nature. I also love scenic Jasper that look like mountain scapes.

One of my questions is that if the dendrites are caused by seeping of minerals into the cracks to form these "ferns" how are some made with different colors? I bought one that has brown, red, green and orange "leaves".

Regards,
Maurice

 

[valeria101]

Yeah... silly side effects of talking about an auction before it ends!

Oh well...



I am not sure these are 'cracks' - things can infiltrate chalcedony anyhow (re. the artificially induced dendrites) and I do not know if there is a definitive story of how these things form ( formed alongside with the agate, after ... )

There are different staining minerals in these dendrites, hence the different colors. I would think the background has something to do with it too.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 12/7/2005 1:42:26 PM
Author: rainbowtrout
It looks rather like some sort of sediment or darker mineral grew along with the stone, making a fractal-esque pattern. Probably just making this up though, if anyone knows how they actually form I''d be interested.

Anyone have the software to analyze the patterns to see if they are actually fractals?

Ditto:

Fractal dimension measurements of some manganese dendrites, E. Constantinescu, S. Milutinovici, R.Caracas, and M. Palasanu
Mineralogy in the system of Earth sciences - ed. E. Constantinescu, World Scientific, (2000).

 

[rainbowtrout]

Is it wrong that that makes me quite excited?

Knew I should have finished that geology major...

 

[MJO]

Date: 12/6/2005 8:34:25 PM
Author: valeria101

What would you guys do with them?

The ovals are 2 x 3 cm and the round almost 3cm.


Initially I was looking to have a pair like these made, but the size is nowhere close and I can''t stand slicing them either.
Of course I had to see those earrings below ages after they were sold. And the chips on the edges were''t quite convincing, so to speak...

Hi Ana,

I emailed Michael at Gemline. He told me he had matching sets.

Maurice

 

[rainbowtrout]

valeria--

Do you know what volume number that article is in? I found several cites for a "World Scientific" volume of collected essays published in 2000, but they all seem to have differant volume numbers, and the only one on chemisty is about quantum mechanics.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 12/7/2005 4:28:55 PM
Author: rainbowtrout
Is it wrong that that makes me quite excited?

Knew I should have finished that geology major...

No

about the proper citation.... no, I'd know as much as Google. The study is older than that publication date - I didn't even know it was translated.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 12/7/2005 4:34:55 PM
Author: MJO

Hi Ana,

I emailed Michael at Gemline. He told me he had matching sets.

That was fast! Thanks

 

[widget]

Author: rainbowtrout
Is it wrong that that makes me quite excited?

No....it just makes you a little weird..JUST KIDDING!

Michael...I hope you do post pictures of your collection...these things are so neat!

widget