Nature’s colorful experiments

Agate is any banded silica rock. There are hundreds of different types of agates, generally named after the places they are found. Brazilian agates come from Rio Grande do Sul province at the southern end of the country. Weathering of the volcanic rocks in that region creates silica-rich solutions that when precipitated in geodes, along with trace amounts of iron and manganese, create these colorful agates.

The specimen in this exhibit is from the collection of the late Dr. Kenneth Ohme of Mitchell, Nebraska.

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agate