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Tampa bay Agatized Corals
Tampa Bay, Florida
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     The corals and sponges of Miocene (30 million years ago) died and became buried by the sediments. Eventually, the sediments hardened and the coral bodies decomposed away leaving behind the molds (coral-shaped cavities). One time, the Gulf of Mexico sea got so saturated with silica that excess silica ended up lining the coral-shaped molds a layer by layer, hence "agatized fossils". The agatized corals demonstrated the fact that the agates were formed from cool solutions not hydrothermal(hot) solutions as widely believed. To demonstrate the fact that they are agates, the banding are made obvious with shortwave ultraviolet lamps.
    The agatized corals come in great variety of sizes and shapes, and brown, gray and tan are most common colors. Black and red colors are quite desirable. I heard that the Tampa bay Agatized Corals are no longer available due to the sources becoming "No Trespassing!" private properties as well as urban spawning in spite of so much materials being available.

Updated July 2009, new specimen have 2009y in their code names.
Larger pictures of any interested specimens can be provided at request

2009yTAMn045-SOLD 2009yTAMn046-$30
2009yTAMn047-$40, druzy quartz, large size 2009yTAMn048-SOLD, large size