6.2" Polished Agate Replaced Barite Nodule Slab - Utah
This is an interesting nodule of barite crystals that have been replaced by agate, creating this stunning mineral specimen. This material was collected in Moab, Utah and has been cut into a slab and polished to a glossy finish on one side. Only the pictured half of the nodule is included, along with an acrylic display stand.
The slab doesn't maintain a uniform thickness throughout, with one end being .8" thick and the other measuring 1.3" thick.
The slab doesn't maintain a uniform thickness throughout, with one end being .8" thick and the other measuring 1.3" thick.
Agate is a variety of microcrystalline quartz (chalcedony) that displays translucence and, in some cases, banding. Agate primarily forms when silica-rich fluids fill pockets within rocks and/or fossils, depositing the silica along the walls of the rock. This process can result in banding patterns, as the compositions and impurities of these depositing fluids change over time. These banding patterns can either form as flat layers, creating linear patterns known as waterline agate, or as rounded layers, forming more common ring-like patterns. These patterns depend on the surfaces available for deposition.
SPECIES
Chalcedony var. Agate
LOCATION
Moab, Utah
SIZE
6.2 x 5.3", up to 1.3" thick
CATEGORY
ITEM
#246319