BEAUTIFUL LARGE BANDED AGATE TRAY 1ST OF TWO ON AUCTION

THIS IS A STRIKING LARGE BANDED AGATE TRAY. THE UPPER SIDE OF THIS SPECIMEN HAS BEEN POLISHED WHILE THE OUTSIDE SKIN AND BOTTOM END HAS BEEN LEFT ROUGH.
 
THE SPECIMEN FEATURES DEEP BROWN, GREY-WHITE, YELLOW-ORANGE BANDS THAT ARE DELIGHTFULLY BEAUTIFUL. ON THE ONE SIDE APPEARS TO BE SOME LEAFLIKE INCLUSIONS VISIBLE OF WHICH IS SEEN ON SOME OF THE AGATE SLICES. THESE AGATE VEINS ARE FORMED BY HYDROTHERMAL DEPOSITION WITHIN CRACKS IN ROCK.
 
NOTE I HAVE ANOTHER BANDED AGATE TRAY ON AUCTION THIS WEEK. IT IS A BIT SMALLER IN SIZE BUT ALSO VERY BEAUTIFUL.

AGATE:
Silicon Dioxide, also known as SiO2 or Quartz, is the second most abundant mineral in the Earth's crust. Quartz crystals generally grow in silica-rich, hot watery solutions called hydrothermal environments, at temperatures between 100°C and 450°C, and usually under very high pressure. Quartz veins are formed when open fissures are filled with hot water during the closing stages of mountains forming, and can be hundreds of millions of years old.
Agate is a variety of microcrystalline quartz (chalcedony) that displays in some cases banding. Agate primarily forms when silica-rich fluids fill pockets within rock resulting in deposition of the silica along the walls of the rock. This process can result in banding patterns as the composition and impurities of the fluids change over time. These banding patterns can either form as flat layers or rounded layers, depending on the surfaces available for deposition.
 
SIZE: 16x13CM OVAL 3CM HIGH
CONDITION: NO CHIPS. NO CRACKS. IN GOOD CONDITION.
 
PLEASE ALSO SEE MY OTHER ITEMS LISTED. THE URL UNDERNEATH AND PASTE INTO GOOGLE AND IT WILL TAKE YOU DIRECTLY TO ALL MY LISTINGS THIS WEEK. NOTE ALL MY AUCTIONS END AT 22H30 SO IT IS ADVISABLE TO PUT IN AN AUTOMATIC BID (HIGHEST PRICE YOU ARE WILLING TO PAY) EARLY.
https://www.bidorbuy.co.za/seller/3685641/ErnRex1545