Orange Agate is a microcrystalline variety of quartz characterized by its vibrant orange banding and waxy luster. It typically forms within volcanic rock cavities, often presenting as botryoidal or layered masses that take a high polish for lapidary work.
Is this orange 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 orange agate with a known reference. Orange 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. Orange Agate leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Orange Agate typically shows a waxy luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: orange, red-orange, yellow-orange.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: botryoidal.
Often confused with
Orange Agate vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside orange agate
Minerals reported to co-occur with orange 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
- 2.58-2.64 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Waxy
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Botryoidal
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Lapidary, Collector, Decorative
- Host rock
- Volcanic Vesicles and Sedimentary Cavities
- Typical price
- $5-50 for slabs and polished pieces
Where rockhounds find orange agate
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Mexico
- USA
- India
Field-hunting tip
Look in volcanic vesicles and sedimentary cavities country — that is the host setting where orange agate typically forms. If you start seeing quartz, amethyst, goethite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a botryoidal habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Vermont — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find orange agate on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
