Color

Multicolor

Type

Mineral

Iris agate is special variety of naturally formed agate which displays a kaleidoscope of electrifying colours when observed in front of a light source. How is this possible? Good question. There are only a precious few locations in the world where iris agate can be found. These two specimens are from Indonesia. At the microscopic level, agate is composed of thousands of fibers that radiate outward from the center. The fibers in these agate cuts are helical in shape. That is to say they are twisted around each other in a spiral pattern that is just the right size to split apart incoming light rays into all colour of the rainbow. Moving the light source causes the electric hues to dance around in a way that is similar to the colour-play of opal. It is a perfect combination of factors, including transparency that give iris agate this unique optical property. Two pieces of agate are included in this listing BUT the smaller piece does not host such vibrant colours. Only when the light is just right will this small piece show the faintest of colored tints. For this reason, I would not definitely classify it as an iris agate. Thus, it is being included as a gift and will not affect the price of the main specimen. However, both are from the same geographic region. Origin: Indonesia Weight: 23.7g (large) Weight: 10.4g (small) Dimensions: 8.6x6.8x0.2cm (large)