When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
This phenomenal, highly intricate 14.1 oz cabinet specimen of Missouri Lace Agate, sourced directly from the historic Cannon Mines area in Washington County, Missouri. Measuring 4.25" x 1.5" x 2.5", this piece is a masterclass in lapidary contrast and rare, multi-phase mineral growth.
The back and top of the stone remain completely raw, showcasing a rugged, dark coating of natural hematite layered directly over a bed of micro-crystalline druzy quartz. The front has been expertly faced and polished to a brilliant, glass-like finish using high-grade diamond lapidary equipment. This polished window reveals sliced stalactitic "eyes" surrounded by labyrinth-like fortification banding in warm oranges and deep reds. But the true prize lies within those eyes: distinct, striking white patches of natural Barite nestled right in the heart of the agate.
Layer by Layer: A Three-Part Geological Canvas
This intricate masterpiece tells a three-part story of the ancient earth. Roughly 500 million years ago, super-saturated silica groundwater slowly percolated through cavities in the local Potosi Dolomite, depositing microscopic layers of chalcedony to form the tight orange and red bands. Next, barium-rich fluids entered the pockets, crystallizing into the stark white patches of barite you see trapped within the silica. Finally, in a distinct tertiary event, iron-rich fluids rushed through the pocket, completely coating the exposed structure in the dense, heavy layer of hematite you see on the rough back today.
The Legacy of Washington County's "Tiff Diggers"
Washington County, Missouri, is legendary for its historic barite (locally called "tiff") operations. For generations, hardy miners known as "tiff diggers" worked the heavy red clay of Cannon Mines by hand, hunting for industrial barite. It is incredibly rare and desirable to find a polished lapidary specimen that actually contains the very "tiff" those miners were digging for, locked perfectly inside the vibrant lace agate they cast aside.
Dimensions: 4.25" x 1.5" x 2.5"
Weight: 14.1 oz
Condition: Expertly faced and polished front revealing vivid banded lace chalcedony and white barite inclusions, contrasting beautifully with a natural, untouched hematite-coated druzy back.
Cannon Mines MO, Washington County Missouri, Missouri Lace Agate, Banded Agate, Fortification Agate, Polished Agate, Tube Agate, Barite Inclusion, White Barite, Tiff Crystal, Hematite Coated Druzy, Iron Oxide Coating, Lapidary art, Chalcedony, Potosi Dolomite, Barite mining, Tiff digger, Historic Missouri Mineral, Old Stock Agate, Red Agate, Orange Agate, Cabinet Specimen, Healing crystal, Sacral chakra, Earth science, Geology, Rockhound, Keepsake mineral, Natural art, Display rock.
