Priday Plume Agate is a highly prized variety of agate known for its intricate, feather-like 'plume' inclusions that resemble floral or flame-like patterns. It is typically found as nodules within thundereggs occurring in rhyolitic volcanic rock in central Oregon. Collectors seek these for their complex internal structures which reveal stunning aesthetic patterns when sliced and polished.
Is this priday plume 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 priday plume agate with a known reference. Priday Plume 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. Priday Plume Agate leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Priday Plume Agate typically shows a waxy luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: red, pink, white, orange, brown.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: botryoidal.
Often confused with
Priday Plume Agate vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside priday plume agate
Minerals reported to co-occur with priday plume 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
- 2.65 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Waxy
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Botryoidal
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Lapidary, Collector, Decorative
- Host rock
- Rhyolite
- Typical price
- $10-100 per specimen
Where rockhounds find priday plume agate
Classic worldwide localities
- Priday Ranch, Oregon, USA
- Jefferson County, Oregon, USA
Field-hunting tip
Look in rhyolite country — that is the host setting where priday plume agate typically forms. If you start seeing quartz, chalcedony, rhyolite 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.
Common questions
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Find priday plume agate on the map
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