World Gem Society Fire Agate
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Published on 03-14-2012 08:49 AM
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a publication of the World Gem Society........14.March.2012..........
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World Gem Society: FIRE...........AGATE!
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A most unusual gemstone that is unique in the world
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 Fire Agate. The very name defines one of the most unique members of the gemstone world found only in the US states of Arizona and California, and in Mexico. This very rare member of the quartz family provides a unique beauty caused by a very unusual combination of geological events. As seen at left and below, fire agate forms as nodules in pockets or void spaces in rhyolite lava flows, according to World Gem Society member and fire agate expert, Ryszard Krukowski of Fire Agate Art Studio. The combination of silica and specific impurities allow the nodules to form in hydrothermal pockets inside the rock. This results in the fire agate nodules forming under a cap layer of milky or clear chalcedony that protects the formation. You can see the nodules in the larger image below. |
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The brown color hue of fire agate is due to a high content of iron. The stones will range from the more affordable stones which will offer predominantly brown colors as you will see below, to the brilliant peacock colored gemstones that are very rare and also seen below. According to Krukowski, who is considered the world expert on fire agate, the quality factors of fire agate are as follows:
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brightness of color
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completeness of the stone (full fire)
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size and appeal of shape
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style of cutting and expertise of the cutter
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rarity of colors
Since fire agate is so unique in formation, every stone offers its own unique combination of colors and beauty. Cutting of fire agate requires experience and knowledge about the stone and its optical properties. Below are a few examples from the World Gem Society collection. They represent a cross section of qualities that you can review for your future purchases.
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At left you see a fire agate of dominant red colors with little rainbow or peacock coloring. This is a beautiful stone for earth tone jewelry that is very affordable. With a hardness and tenacity of quartz the fire agate is a very long wearing and durable gemstone that is very affordable.
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Here at left you see a fire agate of medium quality based on our overview. You can see the rainbow coloring in the stone that represents a medium range fire agate. This is a one-of-a-kind gemstone you are seeing that has no equal anywhere in the world. And most important, the fire agates cannot be lab created and cannot be treated due to the formation structure. So every fire agate will be natural and untreated.
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 When Ryszard Krukowski first sent me images of his fire agate my first thought was: "....yeah, Buddy, I have Photoshop too". But when I saw these in person at the last Tucson Gem Show week I realized that these are truly astounding gifts from nature. This fire agate from the Fire Agate Art Studio is exactly as you see at left from the photo taken in the WGS office today. The white colors are lighting reflections from the surface. We did not Photoshop this image in any way. Astounding colors and quality from a master cutter of fire agate. These stones are actually difficult to photograph because of the enormous variety of colors and optical directions of light refraction that takes place inside. Just astounding beauty from an astounding gemstone. We will add a new image of this stone to our World Gem Society Gemstone Directory. |
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Perhaps the most fun with fire agate is the amazing combination of colors and structures you can find in one stone. The images you see at left and below are all of this same stone from Fire Agate Art Studio, hand picked for us by Ryszard Krukowski in Tucson. Exceptional beauty that makes being in this gemstone business fun. Images at left and below are under 90x magnification with our Meiji Techno microscope.
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As the unbridled selling of nondisclosed treated gemstones continues in Thailand and China, it is time to look locally for new gemstone sources. At the Tucson Gem Show we met some wonderful folks from Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Colombia, Brazil, the United States and many others who are starting to reach out to the world gemstone markets direct. The purpose is to provide the world markets with direct access to the gemstone sources and raise the standard of ethics and fair dealing for the entire gemstone industry. Today we recognize the work of Ryszard Krukowski and the outstanding work of Fire Agate Art Studio. You can visit their website and see the outstanding work they do by clicking on their logo link below. A Registered Gem Dealer of the World Gem Society that we are proud to feature in this edition. Look for more in the coming weeks and months as the World Gem Society continues our efforts:
Spreading the Love of Gemstones Around the World™
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Information in this edition of our newsletter came from the brochure: How to Appraise Appreciate Fire Agate by Ryszard Krukowski. To obtain a copy please email him at this email: fireagateartstudio@gmail.com or visit their website for more information.
If you have problems viewing the images in this edition we welcome you to visit the forums to see the article in its entirety at this link: World Gem Society
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To contact us please use the link below and visit the World Gem Society website.
©2012 World Gem Society. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. We encourage sharing as long as all copyrights are left intact. Visit us at www.WorldGemSociety.org
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