Rough Blue Lace Agate

Agate is a crypto-crystalline variety of silica, chiefly chalcedony, characterized by its fineness of grain and brightness of color. As a member of the expansive agate family of gemstones, blue lace agate is quite a hard stone and measures high on the Mohr scale. While extremely durable, its light blue coloring gives it lovely soft, soothing elements reminiscent of perfect sky-blue waters. These beautiful agates have quite the history:  Blue Lace Agate may have been familiar to indigenous communities for hundreds of years, but its modern identification is attributed to Willy Preiss, a lapidary and prospector from Windhoek, Namibia’s capital. During a prospecting expedition in the 1960s, he unearthed a slim vein of blue and white agate, unfortunately, situated about 600 km from his lapidary shop, complicating the mining process. In 1969, a deal was made with George Swanson, who had claimed a property, Ysterputs Farm, near the agate seam. Preiss proposed to cede the mine to Swanson if he would transport 50 tons of agates to Windhoek, leading to Swanson taking control of the seam. Swanson named the blue crystal “Gem of Ecology“, inspired by its blue and white swirls that reminded him of clouds viewed from space, fitting for the era of the US-Soviet “Space Race”. Today, this stone is commonly referred to as Blue Lace Agate. According to metaphysics: The color of the stone is representative of feelings of calmness and tranquility. It’s also cool to the touch, which many believe will aid in helping the stone’s bearer keep a cool and calm head. All minerals and stones vary in size and shape. You will receive a high quality specimen of the selected item but not the exact one pictured. All minerals, gems, stones and fossils are guaranteed to be top quality; sourced from ethical vendors around the world.