I figured it is a jasper - but with a quartz-agate element

Question

Thank you... But I'm curious as to where this particular jasper might be found - and if anyone has an idea of what the agate might be. It looks like it might be topaz or some other coffee-colored agate. When I work a stone into a jewelry design, I like to tell my customers something about the stone's origin or "nickname."

Any additional information will be appreciated...

Answer 1

Jaspers are found world round. There are many localized names but jasper is universal. Agate is too. Lake Superior agate is characterized by iron  and the vivid reds, many blue agates are from the american west. They are also found worldwide. Trace elements cause color variations. There are tube agates, fortication agates, dendritic agates, .... they are actually banded chalcedony. I will attempt to get a name for your type of jasper. Read up on agate and jasper formation to understand the similarities and differences. If your rock has agate formation under 50 percent it is not considered "officially" an agate.Lastly some natural things like wood in a petrified forest can become agatized. The silica replaces natural fibers in the wood. All very interesting. Short discussion on differences below.

https://rocktumbler.com/blog/what-is-agate-jasper-chalcedony/

Comments

Thank you, Weasel. In fact, I have some petrified wood that shows some of the same cream color with striations as in the "stones" in the photo. In looking them after I read your comment, I had them identified as Burma Wood Agate. I just matched them to the stones shown in my questions - and lo and behold, the same colorations. I had completely forgotten about them until you mentioned the wood-agate relationship. THANK YOU!

Answer 2

Also, if you bought them, you can tell me what part of the world you were visiting. That could also give us a clue.

Comments

The stones in my collection were purchased from the private collection of a local vendor who travels frequently - and they were marked as Burma Petrified Wood Jasper.  The newer stones pictures in my query are also from a local vendor, who purchased them from another local vendor, who did not know the source. But I suspect it was somewhere in the Southwest, based on the photo shown here from RockTumbler: https://rocktumbler.com/rough/petrified-wood.shtml. I have to do more research to see other "hot" spots for Petrified Wood, where similarly colored and patterned petrified wood are likely found.