GALLERY

Maurice’s golden butterflies

A large 300 mm long piece from my store cupboard awaiting inspiration

Cabochon of chalcedony after fluorite found in the 1980's, and made by Lorna.

A gift from Maurice

An early piece. Note the pale colour and close together layers.

Two examples of the Ellensbury seam with a piece of the main deposit in the middle.

This piece I call the Blue Flame

Here, in the Contortionist, one can see all the different levels of layers of chalcedony that have been laid down.

Another view of the Contortionist. This is the side I polished to show all the directions in which the silica rich fluid has flowed.

An older piece showing what I call the “flame-like” shape. It also has a semi-etched side showing residual calcite, with another thin layer of blue chalcedony on top.

Here are my three “flame-like” pieces. Possibly this was a characteristic of the formation of the chalcedony at that particular level or area of the mine.

A polished section of Blue Lace showing particularly contrasting layers of chalcedony

A close-up of a layer of white spheres overlaid with dark, almost gemmy, blue chalcedony

These old and discoloured pieces probably came from the original surface layers of the deposit and have been worn smooth by weathering.

Two strings of Blue Lace beads, and a bracelet bought from Mineral World at Topstones

An interesting example of blue chalcedony from Zambia. Gift from MC

Two exceptional specimens of chalcedony after fluorite, with fine additional layers of pink and white chalcedony on top. Gift from MC

A rare example of well-shaped siderite crystals overlaying blue lace chalcedony. Gift from MC

‘Big Blue’, chalcedony from somewhere in Namibia (not Ysterputs), oblate spheroid 43 × 40 × 26 mm, 336 carats – designed and cut by Duncan Miller

Two older pieces of chalcedony, naturally etched of any calcite, showing a very fine sphere-like formation in places.

Large calcite spheres growing on chalcedony.

A particularly fascinating specimen from the 1980’s showing blue chalcedony after fluorite, as well as a strange worm-like overgrowth of white chalcedony.

A close up of the tubular “worms” from the previous photograph.

These white chalcedony “worms” and surrounding area proved to be fluorescent.

Shining the short wave UV light on this piece also proved interesting.

The calcite line was picked up clearly by the UV light

Another view of the fluorescent chalcedony under short wave UV.

Meet "Nibbly". He can also be seen as a piece of unworked rock under "Specimens"

Another old 1980’s piece showing a white chalcedony “worm” with unbroken point, on blue lace. This is not fluorescent.

An old specimen owned by Maurice. This shows a growth of fine pointed yellow calcite on druzy quartz on blue chalcedony

Siderite on druzy white chalcedony, on blue lace, on green calcite, from the1980’s

This photo shows exactly why Blue Lace was first considered to be an agate. It is an old, shiny, weathered, surface piece from the 1960’s. Thanks, Robert.

A lovely example of gypsum on Blue Lace

Blue Lace Agate necklace and a bead I faceted held in silver. Made by Marc Whitehorne.

An older piece showing multiple layers of chalcedony, with drusy quartz and overlaid by siderite and dog tooth calcite. Width of view 12cm. Gift from S&M R.

The Way beyond the Blue. Oil painting 700 x 750mm

My 4 cm high Blue Lace agate pendant of a faceted cabochon. Set in silver by Gregg.

Another Blue Lace agate pendant with a bead I faceted, set in stainless steel by Marc

"Intense Blue" - a very good early specimen from the adjacent Ellensbury seam.

New in 2018. Good enough to eat. Large blades of white calcite, tipped with brown, and sprinkled with small quartz crystals

Fine layered swirls of chalcedony on green calcite

Tiny cubes of blue chalcedony – rarely seen. Width of view 2.5cm

More whirls and swirls of chalcedony, coloured by different shades of brown, and covered with a fine sparkles.

This is a specimen I once saw but sadly never acquired. Rows of white chalcedony worms lying on a thick layer of Blue Lace.

This is the same specimen but from a different angle. How do these white worms form?

Another strange formation I saw but was not able to acquire.

A Crazy Lace snail from well-weathered rock found on the surface.

Old surface piece – 90mm wide – showing different coloured layers of deposited chalcedony

Blue chalcedony from Rossing, Namibia. ex Horst Windisch collection

A Blue Lace agate frog on a Blue Lace blanket

Blue chalcedony and quartz found at Pypklip West near Kakamas, S. Africa. This was primarily a small fluorite deposit.

An extremely unusual specimen from Ysterputs of three thin layers of blue chalcedony on green calcite. FOV 100mm

Blue quartz on blue chalcedony on green calcite. Quartz crystals in the vug. FOV 200mm

Blades of green calcite overgrown with blue botryoidal chalcedony and tipped with siderite, on blue chalcedony, on green calcite..

Blue lace agate rings I made for myself recently. The chalcedony works beautifully.