| ID | Agate |
|---|---|
| 2874 | Vaago Faroer, Faeroe Islands, Norwegian Sea, volcanic islands situated about midway between Iceland and Great Britain. This is a source of yellowish-colorless translucent agate in basalt. Florke, Kohler-Herbertz, Langer, and Tonges (1982, p. 326, Sam-153) described an example with ôstalactitesö (stalk-aggregates?) with opaque central thread and studied the nature of water within the agate microstructure. |
| 2875 | Vaguilla Agate, Mexico, no locality, no description, adv., Southern Gem Mining Company, Lapidary Journal, v. 18, no. 2, p. 321. Synonym of Boquilla Agate. |
| 2876 | Valley Springs Agate, Calaveras County, California, nfi, saf. See Moit Agate, in Lodato (1975, p. 28, 20). Probably from Valley Springs Formation., California, no description, term used by Anon., (1978, p. 772-773). |
| 2877 | Valley Springs Brown Moss Agate, California?, no description, adv., Western Gems & Minerals, Lapidary Journal, v. 12, no. 3, p. 383. |
| 2878 | Valley View, Oregon, thunder egg locality recorded by Rogers (1970, p. 1482-1486), Zeitner (1979, p. 1260-1272). The name Valley View is used in U.S. Bureau of Mines directory of gemstone producers (Austin and Copeland, 1995, p. 42). |
| 2879 | Vanessite, S. Africa, adv., Murray American Corporation, Rocks and Minerals, v. 48, no. 2, p. 95; Lapidary Journal, v. 27, no. 2, p. 356. ...a dark green, hard jasper with some white lines and spider webbing..., adv., Goodnow Gems, Lapidary Journal, v. 29, no. 3, p. 555. |
| 2880 | Van Horn, Texas, Plume Agate. |
| 2881 | Vaquilla Agate, Mexico, ...red, yellow, and sometimes light blue, adv., Goodnow Gems U.S.A., Rock & Gem, v. 4, no. 7, p. 3. Cross (1996, p. 97) indicated that these agates had red and yellow swirls and equated the name to Boquilla Agate, which see. |
| 2882 | Vaquilla jasp-agate, Mexico?, Texas? adv., Gold-n-Blue Rocks & Minerals, Rocks and Minerals, v. 38, no. 3,4, p. 209. Mexico. |
| 2883 | Vaquilla Jasper, Mexico, synonym of Boquilla. adv., Southern Gem and Mining Company. Rocks and Minerals, v. 39, no. 3,4, p. 198; Lapdiary Journal, v. 17, no. 11, p. 1121. |
| 2884 | Variegated Gem Flint, no locality, no description, adv., Keweenaw Agate Shop, The Mineralogist, v. 14, no. 9, p. 471. |
| 2885 | Varney Ranch Agate, Mexico, no description, adv., Southern Gem Mining Company, Lapidary Journal, v. 18, no. 1, p. 87. Brad Cross (Personal Communication, Sept. 23, 1995) told of a collector named Barney in the Dallas, Texas?, area who collected only Moctezuma Agates. The site became known to dealers and collectors as Barney Ranch, and the term Varney simply reflects the transposition of V for B from English to Spanish. |
| 2886 | Vein Agate, South Dakota, chalcedony in lower Chadron Formation, White River Group, Oligcene. Also found in Nebraska outcrop belt. adv., Ludwid A. Koelnau, The Mineralogist, v. 8, no. 3, p. 96. |
| 2887 | Venus= Hairstone, used as synonym for sagenitic agates in adv., V. D. Hill, Hobbies Magazine, v. 43, no. 11, p. 107, whereas Shipley (1971, p. 175) uses the term for rutliated (sagenitic) quartz. |
| 2888 | Verde Pachuca Agate, Mexico, ...shades of translucent green and clear, sometimes with stripes and swirls...adv., Discount Agate House, Lapidary Journal, v. 22, no. 9, p. 1184. |
| 2889 | Vermillion opal-jasper, no locality, no description, adv., Goldfield Gems P.O. Lapidary Journal, v. 15, no. 1, p. 27. |
| 2890 | Vermont Jasper, Vermont, Hitchcock, 1861, p. 482, reported agate and jasper from near Castleton. ...red, banded red, red-black, light brown. ...adv., Ashley Mining Corporation, the Mineralogist, v. 14, no. 1, p. 24; ...bright red jasper from Vermont, adv., Ward's Natural Science Establishment, Inc., Lapidary Journal, v. 4, no. 1, p. 29. |
| 2891 | Vermont Red Jasper, Vermont, no description, Burlington Gem Co., Lapidary Journal, v. 3, no. 6, p. 470. |
| 2892 | Vertebra Chalcedony, California, Australia, Brazil. This is a misnomer often given to cores of thunder eggs that have weathered free from their rhyolitic matrix. They have a superficial resemblance to large vertebra. See Hebner (1962, p. 22-25) for an early usage of Apetrified vertebra@ that may have lead to the term vertebra chalcedony. Ed Lewis (personal communication, 1997) has suggested that there is a publication by the New South Wales Department of Mines (1967) dealing with chalcedony that refers to vertebra chalcedony. This paper has not been seen here. See also biconoids, Paso Roble Thunder Eggs. |
| 2893 | Vickersite, nomen dubium? chalcedony from Nebraska Badlands? |
| 2894 | Victor's Lace Agate, Mexico, finely colored lace agate from Chihuahua, Mexico, that derives its name for Victor Salgado, an early miner of lace agate (Cross, 1996, p. 74). |
| 2895 | Vidal Junction (chalcedony), California, from gravels in secs. 24, 25, and 26, T. 3 N., R. 22 E., San Bernardino County, California, Savahia Peak and Savahia Peak Quadrangles, U. S. Geological Survey 7.5 minute series, (Topographic). Mitchell, 1986, p. 32 |
| 2896 | Villanou Agate, Georgia, no description, adv., Aubrey Bottoms, Lapidary Journal, v. 17, no. 1, p. 64. |
| 2897 | Violite, San Diego County, California, ...amethystine to pale violet chalcedony, Sperisen (1938, p. 47). Shipley (1971, p. 272) suggested that it was a registered name for a violet colored synthetic corundum. |
| 2898 | Virden Locality, Kittitas County, Washington, blue agates, see Ellensburg Blue Agates and Glover (1949, p. 23). |
| 2899 | Virgin Nodules (from iris beds), Nevada?, no description, adv., El Paso Rock & Lapidary Supply, Lapidary Journal, v. 3, no. 3, p. 213. |
| 2900 | Virgin Valley Iris opal, Nevada, no description, adv., Southern Gem and Mineral Co., The Mineralogist, v. 23, no. 12, p. 442. |
| 2901 | Virgin Valley Opal, Nevada, See Dake (1941, p. 22-24) and adv., Smith's Agate Shop, The Mineralogist, v. 4, no. 2, p. 23. |
| 2902 | Virgin Valley Opalized (Petrified) Wood, Nevada |
| 2903 | Viscarra Stone, Mexico, trade name, àpurple patterned agate, adv., Kent South American Diamond Mines, Lapidary Journal, v. 42, no. 6, p. 19. |
| 2904 | Vista-ite, Oregon, trade name, green, tan, or pale cream picture jasper. See Ashby, 1961, p. 140. Ashby (1962, p. 148) called it an agate but it appears to be a blue-green jasper. |
| 2905 | Vogesite, Jasper, South Africa, ...multi-colored jasper/chalcedony, adv., South African Gem and Mineral Co., Lapidary Journal, v. 16, no. 11, p. 1047. ..patterns and swirls of golden yellow, reds, olives, browns, and ivory, adv., Parser,, Lapidary Journal, v. 38, no. 5, p. 657. |
| 2906 | Volcanic Hills, Esmeralda County, Nevada, agatized wood locality that was recorded by Strong (1971, p. 6). The area is fairly large and is covered on the U.S. Geological Survey 7.5Æ x 7.5Æ Volcanic Hills East, volcanic Hills West and Columbus topographic maps. |
| 2907 | Volterra Chalcedony, Italy, ...creamy, see MacFall (1976, p. 2042-2056). |
| 2908 | Volterra Jasper, Italy, no description?, see MacFall (1976, p. 2042-2056). |
| 2909 | Vontrigger Spring, San Bernardino County, California, locality for geodes and agates listed by Johnson (1971, p. 20). Vontrigger Spring appears on the Hackberry Mountain Map, U.S. Geological Survey 7.5Æ x 7.5Æ series at 35o 03Æ 20ö N and 115o 08Æ 49ö W. |
About the Agate Lexicon
The Agate Lexicon and glossary of amorphous and cryptocrystalline silica gems have been designed to be used in conjunction with the Agate Bibliography, which was compiled to be used by researchers, hobbyists, historians, lapidaries and other individuals which have an interest in these stones. Numerous localities are listed here but this does not imply that the sites are available for collectors or collecting. Many of the sites are historic, depleted, are on private property or are protected by legal leases or claims and some are now on protected sites such as parks, nature preserves, or historic areas. Wherever possible, stratigraphic details are listed, but the user must always refer back to the original citations. Map information has been derived from 7.5' x 7.5' topographic maps issued by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and latitude and longitude have been derived mostly from Geographic Names Information System of the USGS.
Authors should not cite the Agate Bibliography or Agate Lexicon as a source in their published or unpublished works but should cite only those publications listed therein.
Named varieties of agates, jaspers, etc., have created special problems for both scientific researchers and historians. We have recognized at least two different usages of names. Some names appear to have geologic / historic validity, as they were described along with the lithology / geography of a region. Some names were introduced simply as trade names to boost sales of gem dealers. In the former case, the name will be followed by appropriate literary citation as to who first used the name and in what context. In the latter case, an advertisement (abbreviated adv.) is the first published record or public notice. We have tried to find the earliest citation in either case and the user should keep in mind that older citations unknown to us may exist. Advertisements are not cited to generate business but to simply give a historic source; many of the firms appearing in the citations are indeed no longer in existence.
Cited materials are generally only from accessible sources such as professional journals, magazines, hobbyist journals, open file reports of government agencies, newspapers, etc. Bulletins issued by local clubs and societies are generally not cited with the exception of those special publications that were actually made for public distribution.
Wherever possible, imagery of one or more specimens of named agate varieties, structures, patterns, etc. are provided. Images have been provided by several sources and are not to be utilized in other pages without the consent of the image owner.