Agate is a kind of quartz and it is a mineral.
Agate can come in many different kinds and colors. Agate deposits are primarily found in large rocks such as boulders. They take ~50 million years to form. It is characterized by colored band patterns inside various rocks. Often, agates are also accompanied by Amethyst deposits inside.
Agate | |
---|---|
General | |
Category | Quartz variety |
Formula (repeating unit) | Silica, SiO2 |
Identification | |
Color | White to grey, light blue, orange to red, black. |
Crystal habit | Cryptocrystalline silica |
Crystal system | Rhombohedral Microcrystalline |
Cleavage | None |
Fracture | Conchoidal with very sharp edges. |
Mohs scale hardness | 7 |
Luster | Waxy |
Streak | White |
Specific gravity | 2.58-2.64 |
Refractive index | 1.530-1.540 |
Birefringence | up to +0.004 (B-G) |
Pleochroism | Absent |
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