Also known as Fancy Jasper, it took me awhile to figure out what this stuff was. As part of my quest, I slabbed and cabbed a piece, and took the result with me to a gem show. As I chatted up the exhibitors (and the opportunity presented itself) I dug the stone out of my pocket and asked what they thought it might be. I got a wide variety of suggestions, but in the end, only one exhibitor got it right.

eBay finally provided the answer. I often peruse the online yard sale with the key word search of, 'lapidary rough.' You might be surprised, but lots of people sell rocks on eBay. Considering rocks tend to stay close to their home, the Internet has provided a forum for bringing rockhounds together. When I spot something I recognize, I hit the google images with the identified name to confirm the species of rock. Surprisingly, I've discovered the identity of many rocks using this method.

Anyway, back to this India Agate... it comes from India. It has the full spectrum of color that all seem to fade into each other. There are no clear lines, borders, or fortifications. Almost like a glass slag but with diluted coloring. It is dense, hard and takes a great polish.

I don't ever see this rough being sold at the shows, but it's commonly sold as beads or other carvings. Likely the result of slave labor in China or India. As with much of the stone from india, it's allegedly full of metaphysical properties. Perhaps, but I think it's just cool to look at!