A Field Guide to the Agates, Jaspers, and Opals, Volume IV--A Microscopy Study of Banded Agates and their Structures($95.00Value)

Description

A comprehensive study and classification of banded agates, their formation, and their structures. This book shows all of the structures showing agate exposure to supercritical fluids, which is another state of water over 374 C with no surface tension or boiling. The book also shows all the structures indicative of silica going through a gel or glass state. For example, etching of agate banding after it formed by hydrothermal fluids at a supercritical state, dumping calcite as its “calling card” shows that the agate water comes from the magma itself, while hydrothermal water is full of calcite not silica. Silica is almost insoluble in water, while calcite is highly soluble. A number of annotated photographs as short models of the conditions of specific agate structure formation are shown. For example, the formation of chevron agate banding, a type of banding that intersects the void walls at a 30-degree angle, that is it is not concentric banding, is shown. How dilations are tubes-of-escape of supercritical fluids as identified by high temperature beta-moganite residue left behind and captured with spot reflectance infrared spectroscopy, is described. This and many other structures ignored by popular and technical books and research papers is described based on two decades of the author's study of agates. This book is digital laser printed, full color, 8.5 x 11 in size, plastic comb bound. Last updated 6-2016.