Description
Just finished this past week (12/11/22) in my solar powered garage lapidary shop. A sphere I made from the rare Plasma Agate self-collected from the mine located in Clear Creek, CA. This is the only place in the world this material is found & access is limited by a permit system. This material is grossly described as agatized serpentine but in reality is much more interesting & complex. It features mottled greens & blues (chromium colored chalcedony), grayish jadeite, intermixed with brown magnesite, some chalcedony filled seams & stringers, & bright red patches of cinnabar (quite rare all brought up from great depth as the Pacific Plate subducted beneath the North American Plate which led to mountain volcanism & mountain building. What I like best about this rock type is that no two are ever the same, & I have made well over a dozen spheres of this same material. There was a portion of the sphere containing magnesite which was crumbling during the sphering process & required stabilization, see photos for affected area. Great hand specimen to rotate & take in all the variety! Finished diameter is 3.85", & weight comes in at 2 pounds, 12 ounces. It comes with its own Lucite ring display stand. Due to the weight, I will ship domestic USPS Priority Flat Rate at $18.00. So you can add other items to box & provided they fit, I will refund any excess shipping above this amount. Plasma Agate Sphere - 3.85"
