Superbly done … should be high on everyone’s ‘must have’ list.

–Rock and Gem

Agates, the first popular guide to the brilliantly banded and highly prized gemstones, sold 7,000 copies in hardcover, no doubt for the glorious color photographs that capture collectors’ enthusiasm for the stones’ distinctive shapes and vivid colors.

Agates is a comprehensive, easy-to-use identification guide and a worldwide listing of where they are found.

The book describes:

Names of agates–mineralogical, geological, local, trade, trivial
Properties of agates–e.g., color, wall-banded, level-banded, cracked, thunder eggs
Sources of agates–e.g., eruptions, lava, sediment, limestone beds, and fissures
Lapidary–sawing, grinding, sanding, polishing
Imitations and forgeries of agates
Uses of agates through the ages, with beautiful photographs of artifacts and jewelry
Early writing and collections
Use of agates in science and technology
Collecting
National and regional maps showing agate-producing areas.

Amateur gemologists and agate collectors alike will find this informative and beautifully illustrated book to be an indispensable resource.