4.2" Nipomo Marcasite Agate Slab - Freddie Quarry, California

This is a gorgeous, 4.2" wide, polished slab of Nipomo Marcasite Agate that was collected from Freddie Quarry in San Luis Obispo County, California. It is polished to a mirror-finish on one side and features beautiful formations of lustrous marcasite that are encapsulated in agate. The slab is thin enough that the specimen could be backlit.

An acrylic display stand will accompany your purchase.

Agate is a variety of microcrystalline quartz (chalcedony) that displays translucence and, in some cases, banding. Agate primarily forms when silica-rich fluids fill pockets within rocks and/or fossils, depositing the silica along the walls of the rock. This process can result in banding patterns, as the compositions and impurities of these depositing fluids change over time. These banding patterns can either form as flat layers, creating linear patterns known as waterline agate, or as rounded layers, forming more common ring-like patterns. These patterns depend on the surfaces available for deposition.

Marcasite is an iron sulfide mineral with the chemical formula FeS2. It is similar to pyrite in both its chemical composition and appearance, but it forms an entirely different crystal structure and is much more reactive to humidity. It is often found within sedimentary rock and hydrothermal deposits, and at one point was used for its sulfur content.
SOLD
DETAILS
SPECIES
Chalcedony var. Agate & Marcasite
LOCATION
Freddie Quarry, San Luis Obispo County, California
SIZE
4.2 x 3.5", .22" thick
CATEGORY
ITEM
#152684