Blue lace agate polished block, Namibia — 188 g

Description

This is a chunky block of Blue lace agate with one face polished to a soft sheen, revealing blue to pale lavender-blue concentric banding interrupted by curved white bands. The polished surface sits against a rough, natural outer rind running along the top and right side; the piece is opaque to only slightly translucent. Measures 5 × 5.5 × 4 cm and weighs 188 g. The polish is limited to a single face, leaving the remainder in its natural, irregular block form. Colour and banding are the most striking features on the polished face, while the rind provides a contrast in texture. Agate is a banded form of chalcedony (a microcrystalline variety of quartz); such banding commonly reflects rhythmic silica deposition in cavities. This specimen is from Namibia and shows the classic concentric banding typical of lace agate material.