IMPORTANT NOTICE AT THE BOTTOM
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| Green Tree cabochon on a shell |
Green Tree Agate is an absolute delight to work with! With a Mohs hardness of 6.5 to 7, it takes a bright polish, which I always find satisfying.
At first glance, it's easy to understand why "agate" isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you see it. The color is milky white, with no translucence. Also, it's not banded, but it is microcrystalline silicon dioxide, and it is still considered a member of the agate family.
Goose in the Garden
This piece of Green Tree was unusually pitted and I was just horsing around with it when a Goose appeared. He's looking left and I don't think he's very happy.
DENDRITES OR MOSS?
Then there are the green patterns. Sometimes, they're called "mossy", but in reality, they're dendritic. As far as the color goes, it's not the copper I first thought. It is a combination of manganese and iron oxides.
Those dendrites are what make this stone so much fun to work with. It's almost like watching clouds in the sky, as you look at it, different shapes and stories come alive. That's the good news. The not-so-good news is that unlike bands in agate, dendrites are in constant motion throughout the rock. The story you see on the slab can easily disappear or become a whole different story as you shape it.
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| Blowing Tree |
When I was making the cabochon at the left, I saw a green sapling in the forest bending over in a storm.
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| Frozen Creek |
