Fairhill Agate is a variety of cryptocrystalline quartz found primarily in the Fairhill area of Maryland. Collectors look for its characteristic warm earth tones and intricate banding, which often appear in rounded nodules or as infillings in sedimentary rock fractures.
Is this fairhill agate?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch fairhill agate with a known reference. Fairhill Agate sits at Mohs 6.5-7 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Fairhill Agate leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Fairhill Agate typically shows a waxy luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: red, yellow, orange, brown, white.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: nodular.
Often confused with
Fairhill Agate vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside fairhill agate
Minerals reported to co-occur with fairhill agate. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- SiO₂
- Mohs hardness
- 6.5-7
- Density
- 2.6-2.65 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Waxy
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Nodular
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Lapidary, Collector, Decorative
- Host rock
- Sedimentary Deposits
- Typical price
- $5-30 for small slabs or polished specimens
Where rockhounds find fairhill agate
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Fairhill, Maryland, USA
Field-hunting tip
Look in sedimentary deposits country — that is the host setting where fairhill agate typically forms. If you start seeing quartz, chalcedony, hematite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a nodular habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in South Dakota — start trip planning there.
Common questions
How do you identify fairhill agate?+
Where is fairhill agate found?+
Can I find fairhill agate in the United States?+
How much is fairhill agate worth?+
What rocks look like fairhill agate?+
What minerals are found with fairhill agate?+
What kind of rock does fairhill agate form in?+
What is fairhill agate used for?+
Find fairhill agate on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
