West Texas is famous for its wide variety unique and beautiful agates and jaspers. Some types are highly prized by collectors world wide. Agate (semi-transparent) and jasper are two types of chalcedony, microfibers of silicon dioxide (SiO2), a form of quartz.

35 million years ago volcanic activity produced the environment for our beautiful gemstones. Crystallizing as nodules inside of gas pockets, delicate plumes, moss and bouquet patterns of different colors form. The colors are caused by impurities such as iron oxide, manganese, hematite, etc.

Often times banding occurs, suggesting successive waves of formation. Often the cavity does not fill with agate, leaving a hollow or geode, which can later fill with pure quartz, calcite or onyx (water marks).

There are many theories about agate genesis, but no one theory explains all types. Some suggest a silicon gel, or silicon dissolved as colloidal solution which saturates the host rock. It crystallized inside veins and pockets, it can replace other minerals (pseudomorph) or fossils wood, bone and coral (fossil palm wood is Texas' state stone.)