AGATE (BOTH HALVES) (Cut and polished) - Sandford, Somerset
« backAGATE ('POTATO STONE')
Cut and polished (both halves)
Sandford, Mendip Hills, Somerset
A lovely little agate, chiefly red and white, with a centre cavity lined with sparkling quartz crystals.
The Mendip Hills has yielded some beautiful agates, mostly from Dulcote Quarry, near Wells, but also from other localities such as Sandford, near Weston-super-Mare, where they have been ploughed up in local fields.
The agates of the Mendips occur as nodules in the red marly clays overlying the Carboniferous Limestone. These clays were laid down in an arid, tidal-flat environment during the Triassic period (200 million years ago) when Britain was situated in the tropics.
These nodules are known as a 'potato-stones' due to their external appearance, although their rugged exterior makes them look more like a truffle.
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Size: 6-7 centimetres diameter
Weight: 292 grams
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