Dwarves' Earth Treasures Museum: Puma Agates
Malargüe(?), Mendoza Province, Argentina, South
America
.
They were named by Luis after Puma (Mountain
Lion) which are common in the Andes Mountains, and like Condor Agates,
there had been some confusion over the locations due to the world-wide
practice of giving false locations to throw off the "Claim-Jumpers". The
Puma Agates appear to be a type of concretion that were formed from water/evaporate
minerals expanded fossil crinoid heads very similar to Indiana Geodes,
Kentucky & Alabama Agates. The Puma Agates tend to consist of mostly
quartz, and thin red agate band. Some solid agate have been found with
varying colors of red, yellow, pink, white, gray and black.
Important
Note! There are some conflicting information
on such agates. They had been passed as "Puma" "Neuquen" and "Samtra" Agates
even the source of Neuquen agates is about 250 kilometers from where the
Puma Agates are found (Marlargue). The differences are that the Puma Agates
have narrower variety of colors and contain thinner crystallinzed quartz
rims. The "Samtra" Agates may be actually Neuquen or Puma Agates.
Rough Appearance: Althrough the differences between Neuquen and Puma
agates are not clear,
Neuquen Agates tend to have far rougher feeling and thicker quartz
rims than those of Puma Agates, and both come in cauliflower shapes.
