Condor Agate, Argentina

Agate is a form of Chalcedony pronounced Kay-sed-ony, made up of 90% quartz and 10% morganite. It is composed of microscopically fine fibrous crystals and it normally shows color banding, stripes, whirls, bull's eye and other random patterns due to impurities in the quartz. Igneous rock is formed by lava and volcanic activity. This activity can form pockets / bubbles in the rock, similarly to Swiss cheese. When these pockets are formed in an area close to water, the water which is filled with minerals, (primarily quartz), is forced into the pockets, forming a layer of gel which eventually eats away the igneous rock. Layer upon layer of this gel is created until the void is filled and the water dries out, allowing for complete crystallization. These pockets can be broken up over time, then washed into the waterways where it can be naturally smoothed and polished. Sometimes a pocket it will remain intact and the void will not fill completely, as in the case of an Agate Geode.

Named for the Condor birds that were flying overhead during their discovery, Condor Agates with their brilliant colors are among the most highly collectable Agate geodes to collectors. Mining these Agate specimens is extremely difficult as they are found only in the mountaintops of Argentina, at an altitude of over 6000 ft., and at a mine which is accessible only by horseback. Condor Agates were discovered by actor Luis de Los Santos in 1993.