Grape Agate (2)

What Is Grape Agate?Grape agate is a marketing name for purple aggregates of tiny quartz crystals with a spherical (botryoidal) habit. The name reflects their purple color and how they occur in clusters that resemble bunches of grapes. This material is found in the Mamuju area, near the western coast of Sulawesi, an island of Indonesia. Grape agate entered the mineral market in 2016. Its popularity quickly spread through mineral shows, rock shops, websites, and online marketplaces. Specimens with a fun appearance and an interesting name like grape agate market themselves. The "grapes" of these specimens are tiny. They range between about two and eight millimeters across. Although purple is the best color to match the "grape" name, some specimens have grapes that are white, gray, green, or blue. Purple QuartzGrape Agate: A tiny cluster of grape agate with superb color and a fun shape. Note that the surface is not smooth. Under a magnifier it would be drusy. Photo copyright iStockphoto /