Dwarves Earth Treasures: Blue Lace Agates from Namiba, Africa

Dwarves' Earth Treasures Museum:
Blue Lace Agates
north of Vioolsdrift & Noordoewer, Namiba, Africa

"Blue Lace Agate" is some of the most popular banded chalcedony used in lapidary projects because of their light blue colors. They were mined from the seams in the sill within sedimentary rock beds. It appears to me that the banded chalcedony may be pseudomorphs after the banded calcite seams as shown by their irregular banding, calcite impressions on the bottom and topped with layers of white crystals. I noticed that when they're sliced, thinner the slab is cut, weaker the blue color become and that may be why the thicker specimens seem to retain their strong blue colors. It must be noted that the blue color is a form of optical illusion caused by water bubbles trapped within the agate. The blue color will look strong when cut, but after that, the color will weaken over time as the chalcedony lose water to evaporation.

For further reading: namibianbluelace.co.za/about/

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Rough Appearance: Broken lace pieces with blue agate showing, crowned with white psuedmorph crystals
Broken seams of blue banded agate are dead give away.

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Uncommon to find one with whole pattern	Typical Blue Lace spiece