This listing is for four separate pieces of Deer Creek fire agate rough weighing a total of 62.65 grams. The weight and measurements of the individual gemstones are:
Stone 1 – 28.00 grams, 47.61 mm by 25.12 mm by 20.32 mm
Stone 2 – 19.66 grams, 52.30 mm by 20.22 mm by 16.24 mm
Stone 3 – 10.82 grams, 32.35 mm by 21.62 mm by 15.62 mm
Stone 4 – 4.16 grams, 26.47 mm by 16.48 mm by 8.70 mm
These pieces of fire agate gemstone rough have been carefully trimmed down to remove most of the excess material and are ready for final cutting and shaping into fire agate gemstones. These rough gemstones are from Deer Creek, Arizona, a region renowned for its premium fire agates which often exhibit vivid red, orange, green, purple and blue color variations.
Photographs were taken indoors under full spectrum lighting and outdoors in sunlight while the stones were both dry and then also wet to simulate a polish and for best visual fire display. The colors seen within fire agates are created by the Schiller effect, as found in mother-of-pearl and opals. This effect is caused by the alternating silica and iron oxide layers which diffract and allow light to pass which forms the interference of colors known as fire. This play of color requires good lighting for the best color display and the stone will appear darker and brownish colored in lower light conditions.
Deer Creek is well known for producing exceptionally vibrant fire agate gemstones, celebrated for their mesmerizing play of color and intricate internal banding. The fire agates from Deer Creek are a treasure trove of beauty for collectors and carvers which prize this locality for its mesmerizing gemstones, high quality rough and exquisite mineral specimens. The fire agate often display brillant vivid flashes of bright red, orange, green, purple, and blue colors. The uncut rough specimens often feature opal formations created during the geologic formation process. Many Deer Creek pieces have a protective chalcedony cap which preserves the vivid fire layers beneath and enhances the carving potential. These natural features make Deer Creek fire agate ideal for lapidary artists who seek material that allows for deep carving and a high contrast polish which reveals the stone’s full spectrum of fiery brilliance.
