Or … Is It?
I’ve been advertising and selling this rock as North African Berber Agate for several years. I have a small pile of it so I’ll probably continue. It’s likely that a chunk is listed for sale now. But in all honesty, I don’t really know. I always tell people, I’m NOT a great rockhound. That was my dad. And my dad “collected” the pile I have … probably in trade with another rockhound at a rock show like Quartzite. (Note: If you buy one, keep in mind that nearly all of them are coated with a powdery white matrix that absolutely prevents knowing what’s inside. It’s like buying a ticket in the lottery.)
I’ve reached out to my friends to get a better identification. Some of them are great rockhounds too. And there has not been an outpouring of agreement in the identification. I’ve checked the Internet for pictures to compare with the rocks that I have. That hasn’t been much help either. Check for yourself … the pictures have been all over the map, although some of them are fairly close.
I’ve found a few … very few … web sites that briefly discuss the history of North African Berber Agate. It appears that these became a commercial item after WWII. I’m guessing that some of the troops who were there to fight a war also noticed the rocks that were there and came back after the war to export the agate they had discovered. One site noted that it has been exported to Europe and other parts of the world a lot more than America.
I believe that the reason that the appearance of what is sold as Berber Agate varies so much is that the Atlas Mountains where they’re found covers a large area and there are agate deposits all over the place. (As I read about it, it sounds more and more like Utah! We have mountains, but mainly desert – just like they do.) I’m guessing that they don’t bother to invent new names very often. To them (and so, to us too) – It’s ALLLLLLL Berber Agate.
So … I’ve decided to appeal to you to let me know what you think this agate is.
Leave a message and tell me all about it.
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