White Agate is a translucent, microcrystalline variety of quartz often characterized by its banded or massive appearance. It is highly valued by lapidary hobbyists for its smooth polish and is commonly found lining vugs and cavities in volcanic rocks.
Is this white 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 white agate with a known reference. White 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. White Agate leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. White Agate typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: white, milky white, translucent white.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: botryoidal, massive, nodular, banded.
Often confused with
White Agate vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside white agate
Minerals reported to co-occur with white 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
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Botryoidal, Massive, Nodular, Banded
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Lapidary, Collector, Decorative, Jewelry
- Host rock
- Volcanic Vesicles, Sedimentary Rocks, Hydrothermal Veins
- Typical price
- $5-30 for small cabochons or tumbled stones, $50-200 for larger display specimens
Where rockhounds find white agate
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Brazil
- USA
- India
- Mexico
- Uruguay
Field-hunting tip
Look in volcanic vesicles, sedimentary rocks, hydrothermal veins country — that is the host setting where white agate typically forms. If you start seeing quartz, amethyst, goethite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a botryoidal, massive, nodular, banded habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Missouri — start trip planning there.
Common questions
How do you identify white agate?+
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Find white agate on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
