BLUE LACE AGATE - Namibia

Blue lace agate is a delicately coloured, banded variety of chalcedony (a type of quartz) that is mined in a remote area of Southern Namibia, about 69 kilometres southwest of the town of Grunau.

It was first discovered in 1962 when it was mined intermittently in hand-dug trenches; mechanised mining starting in 1977. It is exported to South Africa for cutting and polishing. The agate is found in a fine-grained igneous rock called dolerite which is estimated to be about 1.1 billion years old.

This example has been beautifully polished on one side but retains its natural appearance on the reverse. ​​​​​​​There is a small ancient crack in the stone but this only slightly affects the stone visually (see picture).

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