GEODE STONE CUT IN HALF HAS WHITE INTERIOR - IS THIS CRYSTAL? QUARTZ?

[journeymagazine]

Found this today at a friend's 2nd hand furn store - he found it in a storage unit he won. Ir wasn't furniture so I got it cheap: $5! Now can someone tell me what I have? It doesn't have the icicle like features of a amethyst - is it crystal? I've never seen a white one before!

It measures 6" high x 4" wide.

Thanks!!

[18704d]

Hi again,

Cut Geodes are hollow.

You have a Cut Agate.

Google:  cut stone agate

and study the images.

Nice find,

Lynn

[all_fakes]

Not to disagree....but I think I see a small hollow in the first photo.   Agate and quartz are the same mineral, in crystalline and non-crystalline forms, so it is quite normal for a geode to have bands of agate, with a hollow center containing quartz crystals (or other crystals, depending on the type of minerals involved in the process).

It is possible for the crystals to have continued growing until they fill, or almost fill, the hollow center.   In those cases the line between geode and agate becomes rather thin.

The center of this looks like cut quartz rather than cut agate, and I'd be entirely comfortable calling it either a cut geode or a cut agate. 

Though technically, a cut agate would not show any crystalline quartz, and this clearly shows the crystalline center surrounded by bands of agate, so probably geode is more correct than agate, considering it is mostly cystalline.

But the line is thin, and many rock specimens contain both crystalline and non-crystalline, whether hollow or not.

[journeymagazine]

So what would be a correct title if I wanted to sell them?

Also, are the white ones that rare? I don't see many while googling these

I appreciate the help

[18704d]

Thank you @all_fakes

So, should the OP put both names in the Title / Description?

Would that be accurate? or keyword spamming?

Lynn

[rixstuff]

Yep many geodes have crystaline insides.  GREAT find!  Bookends?

[all_fakes]

I was thinking possibly bookends also.   A good title might be "cut and polished agate or geode; bookends?"  and I doubt ebay would object.

Many gem and mineral or souvenir shops have a selection of similar items, cut and polished from a variety of agates, geodes, and other rocks and minerals; just for display, or as bookends.  Colors are quite variable, depending on where they were collected.

I've done a lot of hunting for beach agates, and on one beach, white or clear ones are common, and the reddish ones very rare; on another beach, nearly all are red, and it is rare to find a white one.

[rixstuff]

The out of business Nature Company and a couple of the museum shops used to offer them as bookends.  I always wanted some but never had the money for them.  Now days, my interest in rocks is cutting them for jewelry repairs but those are best left as is.  Gorgeous!

[journeymagazine]

Thanks all - I put them as book-ends / display - their formations are nicer than almost any other one I've seen googling them (but I may be biased!).