Sagenite agate is characterized by intricate, needle-like or hair-like inclusions, often formed by minerals like rutile, goethite, or actinolite trapped within chalcedony. Collectors prize these specimens for their delicate, fan-shaped or starburst patterns that appear suspended within the translucent stone.
Is this sagenite 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 sagenite agate with a known reference. Sagenite 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. Sagenite Agate leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Sagenite Agate typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: clear, white, yellow, brown, red.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: acicular inclusions in massive quartz.
Often confused with
Sagenite Agate vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside sagenite agate
Minerals reported to co-occur with sagenite 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
- 2.6-2.7 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Acicular Inclusions in Massive Quartz
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Lapidary, Collector, Decorative
- Host rock
- Hydrothermal Veins and Volcanic Cavities
- Typical price
- $10-100 per slab or cabochon
Where rockhounds find sagenite agate
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- USA
- Brazil
- Mexico
- Madagascar
- Czech Republic
Field-hunting tip
Look in hydrothermal veins and volcanic cavities country — that is the host setting where sagenite agate typically forms. If you start seeing quartz, chalcedony, goethite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a acicular inclusions in massive quartz habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in California — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find sagenite agate on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
