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Dwarves' Earth Treasures Museum:
Crazy Lace Agates
(Recently passed as "Laguna Lace")
Sierra Santa Lucia, Ejido Benito Juarez, Chihuahau State, Mexico
   The Crazy Lace Agates ("Laguna Lace")  may be one of best well-known agates coming from a main mining site surrounded by many smaller claims (different lace names)  in northern Mexico for they are widely used in many lapidary arts since 1950s. The name "Crazy Lace" refers to the irregular and geometric patterns resulting from agates encrusting and later replacing the large pointy calcite crystals lining the fissures within the limestone hosts. Since the miners tend to break up the Crazy Lace agate veins into clunks with explosives and heavy machinery, any agates with whole patterns are somewhat scarce. The typical colors are white and gray, but but they can come in a wider spectrum of colors (I have yet to see blue and purple color) and often come with excellent shadowing effects. Recently, they have been passed as "Laguna Lace" even they came from the same pit with no relationship with the true Laguna Agates found hundreds of kilometers away (marketing tactic that I personally disapprove of).  Since the agates tend to be broken into clunks, it's not easy to obtain any agates with whole patterns.

YOU CAN CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO SEE LARGER PICTURES

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Rough Appearance: Broken clunks with crazy banded agates is a dead giveaway
Agates typically white, gray and yellow, but can come in quite a spectrum of colors

Agate
Agate Agate
whole pattern, yellow, red, black colors
Whole pattern, reds
Whole patterns, white color
agate Agate Agate
Large Specimen with almost whole patterns.
Shadowing effect
Shadowing effect,
yellow, orange, red and green colors!
Agate Agate Agate
calcite crystals replaced by agate
calcite crystals replaced by agate Red color, shadowing effect
Agate Agate Agate
Agate-replaced Inclusion bursts contrasting colors
Cut made across the bands to get "eyes"
  Agate






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