The Beauty of Banded Agates
by Michael R. Carlson
Published by Fortification Press, Edina, MN, 2002. Hard cover 9-1/2"x12". Color. 160 pages. Price $59.95. Soft cover, $38.95.
Available from Beautiful Agates, P.O. Box 24805, Minneapolis, MN 55424-0805.

Reviewed by June Culp Zeitner

This is a truly elegant book with absolutely stunning pictures, but it isn’t the usual coffee table book, because in addition to its great pictures and high quality paper and binding, it has fascinating text about eight sites acknowledged to have some of the world’s most beautiful agates, the best-loved of quartz family minerals. The eight agates Carlson has chosen to highlight are Botswana agate, Brazilian agate, Condor agate from Patagonia, Dryhead agate from Montana, Fairburn agate from South Dakota, Lake Superior agate from Minnesota, Mexican agate from Chihuahua, and Queensland agate from Australia. Plus, there's a bonus chapter on other famous localities.

He describes the land, the people, the discoverers, and developers of the varied and related agate deposits. He talks of sizes, colors, patterns, inclusions, production, oddities, and lapidary uses.

Among the most sensational pictures are the iris Lagunas of Mexico. However, these ellusive, multicolored, spectral agates are found in many other agate deposits, and it is often impossible to say where a particular iris agate was found. For the most part, though, agates from various well-known localities have enough distinguishing characteristics that an experienced collector can tell the locality of a specimen at a glance.

While many of the most popular agates are from igneous formations, South Dakota’s rare and colorful agates are from sedimentary rock and are most like Fairburns in coloring and banding structure. Pictures of a typical locality for each variety enhance the understanding and appreciation of the specimens.
To me, the agate which differs most from the other banded agates in the book is Crazy Lace from Mexico. The banded patterns are liberally decorated with delicate and contrasting lace. The Condor agates of Patagonia are among the most recent agate discoveries. They are high quality and perhaps the most varied in color of any other group. Besides many lovely pastel blues, pinks, and lavenders, they sometimes run to vivid reds, yellows, and oranges. Then again, they may be aqua and russet or black and purple or even scarlet and olive green.

All pictures are in color. Some are of slabs and cabs and others are closeups of unusual features, new cuts, or jewelry.

There is a glossary and an index. Pete Rodewald took many of the amazing pictures. Anyone interested in gemstones would be happy to own this book.

June Culp Zeitner, who has been writing for the Lapidary Journal since 1956 and joined the editorial staff in 1967, is the author of nine gem and mineral books, and helped start the National Rockhound and Lapidary Hall of Fame.

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