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Agate, Blue Lace, Gemstone Chips

Agate, Blue Lace, Gemstone Chips

Regular price $4.00 Sale

Even though this stone is known as Blue Lace Agate, it isn’t a true agate at all. Instead, it belongs to the Chalcedony family — which is why it’s often confused with the more common Blue Chalcedony.

And, sadly, these beautiful stones are nearing extinction.

To date, the only known deposit of Blue Lace Agate was found on the farm Ysterputs 254 (meaning iron holes) in Namibia. The material exists in two different vein systems at Ysterputs, both of which were owned and mined by George Swanson since he discovered them in 1962. 

After several decades of operating the commercial mine, George retired and handed the mine down to his son Lionel. But after heavy activity since the ‘60s, the mine is no longer viable and safe to draw from. That means that no new Blue Lace Agate has entered the market in years — and none is expected in the foreseeable future, if at all.

The beautiful lacing, formed by the layers of material that have grown over time, is what separates Blue Lace Agate from common Blue Chalcedony. Over the last few years of the mine’s activity, the material removed from the earth had fewer and fewer bands, and the quality was starting to decrease.

Fortunately, we’ve sourced out tumbled stones from material removed from the mine in the early 1980s — which provides top-quality lacing and stunning blue color.

Looking for larger Blue Lace Agate Tumbled Stones instead?

 

You can purchase bulk gemstone chips in multiple quantities. Choose the quantity that matches your needs from the drop-down box. Options include:

1/10 pound (46 grams)

1/4 pound (114 grams)

1/2 pound (227 grams)

3/4 pound (341 grams)

1 pound (453.5 grams)

Message us if you need a quantity different than what is available and we will do our best to accommodate you.