Types of Agate With Photos

Enhydro Agate

The Lake Superior agate is a type of agate stained by iron and found on the shores of Lake Superior. Its wide distribution and iron-rich bands of color reflect the gemstone's geologic history in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The Lake Superior agate was selected because the agate reflects many aspects of Minnesota. It was formed during lava eruptions that occurred in Minnesota about a billion years ago.

The stone's predominant red color comes from iron, a major Minnesota industrial mineral found extensively throughout the Iron Range region. Finally, the Lake Superior agate can be found in many regions of Minnesota as it was distributed by glacial movement across Minnesota 10,000 to 15,000 years ago.

Condor Agate

Fortification agate is a type of agate that is characterized by its distinctive banding pattern. The bands are typically sharp-angled and often resemble the outlines of fortifications, such as a castle or a fort. Fortification agates can be found in a variety of colors, including white, yellow, orange, red, brown, and black. They are typically found in sedimentary rock formations, such as sandstone and limestone.

Fortification agates are prized for their beauty and rarity. They are often used in jewelry and other decorative items. Some fortification agates are also considered to be good luck charms.

Fairburn Agate

Fairburn agates  Locality: Rapid City, South Dakota, United States Photo: © Captain Tenneal

Fairburn Agate is a unique and rare variety of Fortification Agate from Fairburn, Custer Co., South Dakota, USA. The state gem of South Dakota. Formed in Pennsylvanian-Permian carbonate sediments and weathered out since Oligocene around the Black Hills. Agates in Nebraska formed in Pennsylvanian sediments and were transported from the Hartville uplift in Wyoming in the Oligocene.

Fairburn agates are composed of concentric layers of cryptocrystalline chalcedony colorized by different trace minerals. However, fortification banding distinguishes fairburns from other agate types. Fortification banding means that the concentric layers have sharp changes in direction which cause the bands to form angles in ways which are especially distinguishable from other agate types. Mainly, no other agate type forms these patterns.

Fairburn agates are typically found in a variety of colors, including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. They can also be found in a variety of patterns, including fortification banding, dendritic banding, and mottled banding.

Dendritic Agate

Coyamito Agate

Coyamito Agate is a specific type of agate that comes from the Coyamito Ranch area in Chihuahua, Mexico. Known for its high occurrence of pseudomorphs. Pseudomorphs are fascinating minerals that form when one mineral replaces another, preserving the original mineral's shape but not its composition. In Coyamito Agate, quartz replaces other minerals like calcite or dolomite, creating unique textures and patterns. Due to the pseudomorphs, Coyamito Agate can exhibit a wide variety of colors and textures. They can be solid-colored, banded, or even have brecciated (fragmented) appearances. Some may even show remnants of the original replaced mineral's structure.

Natural Plume agate

Plume agate is a type of agate that is characterized by its featherlike inclusions. These inclusions can be a variety of colors, including white, gray, black, and brown. Plume agate is a relatively rare type of agate, and it is often more expensive than other types of agate. Plume agate is formed when iron oxides are deposited in agate in a way that resembles feathers or smoke. The iron oxides can be deposited in a variety of ways, including through volcanic activity, hydrothermal activity, and weathering. It is a rarer type of agate and is often more expensive than other types of agate.

Red Fox Agate

Red Fox Agate

Red Fox Agate is a rare and beautiful variety characterized by its vibrant orange, red, and white bands, reminiscent of a red fox's fur. These distinctive bands are often accompanied by botryoidal hematite inclusions, which give the stone a distinctive "foxy" appearance. Red Fox Agate is primarily found in alluvial deposits (loose sediments transported by water) in the Patagonia region of Argentina.

Laguna Agate

Laguna Agate - Chihuahua, Mexico

Laguna Agate is a highly sought-after variety of agate known for its vibrant red and scarlet hues with occasional shades of deep red, milky white, yellow, gold, and brown. It is considered the most highly prized banded agate in the world due to its extremely tight banding and intense colors. Found in a remote mountainous region in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico.

Tube Agate

Tube agate, By: LSAgates

Tube agate is characterized by hollow, tube-shaped inclusions within the stone. These inclusions come in various colors and often contrast beautifully against a translucent chalcedony background. Its formation involves silica-rich fluids dissolving pre-existing minerals, leaving cavities. Later, these cavities fill with chalcedony, creating the signature tube-like structures through a process called pseudomorphic replacement. Tube agate can be found in various locations worldwide, with notable sources in Mexico, Turkey and Brazil.

The way a tube agate is cut significantly impacts the visible patterns. Cutting parallel to the length of the tubes reveals elongated, finger-like formations within the stone. Conversely, cutting perpendicular creates a captivating eye or orbicular pattern, showcasing concentric circles.

Conclusion, These names are often used to describe the appearance and origin of the agate. The diversity in colors and patterns makes agate a popular choice for jewelry and decorative items. Keep in mind that there are many local and regional names for specific types of agate, and the classification can vary among different sources.