The facts
What blue Lace Agate actually is
Blue Lace Agate is classified as chalcedony (banded), with the composition SiO₂. It crystallises in the trigonal (cryptocrystalline) system.
Colour comes from pale blue from light scattering in the fine-fibred bands; no chromophore, which is also what a laboratory looks at when it is asked whether a colour is natural.
Refractive index 1.530–1.539. Specific gravity around 2.58–2.64. Cleavage: none. Those three numbers separate it from most of what imitates it.
Where blue Lace Agate comes from
Blue Lace Agate is produced at Ysterputs, Karasburg district, Namibia and Malawi.
The locality is part of the description, not a footnote — two stones of the same weight from two of these places are not the same stone.
How blue Lace Agate is treated
Genuine Namibian material is untreated and pale, soft blue. Vivid blue 'lace agate' with sharp colour in the bands is dyed.
Treatment changes value, sometimes by a multiple, so it belongs in the description before the price and not after the sale.
What blue Lace Agate is confused with
In the trade blue Lace Agate is most often mistaken for, or substituted by, Dyed banded agate, Blue chalcedony or Angelite (anhydrite).
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.530–1.539 and specific gravity 2.58–2.64 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What blue Lace Agate is used for
Demand for blue Lace Agate comes from jewellery, carving and sculpture, decorative objects, architecture and interiors, mineral collecting and wellness and body care, which is why one price per carat never covers it.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the carat, by the block or by the piece.
Durability and care
Hardness 6.5–7; cleavage none. That combination decides what it can safely be set into.
With no cleavage plane to worry about, the practical limit is abrasion rather than breakage, and it takes daily wear well.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What blue Lace Agate costs
As a guide, blue Lace Agate trades around $1–15/ct.
That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.
Questions
Is blue Lace Agate treated, and how?
Genuine Namibian material is untreated and pale, soft blue. Vivid blue 'lace agate' with sharp colour in the bands is dyed.
Where does blue Lace Agate come from?
Ysterputs, Karasburg district, Namibia and Malawi. Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is blue Lace Agate hard enough to wear every day?
Yes. At 6.5–7 on the Mohs scale with no cleavage plane, it handles daily wear well. The practical limit is gradual abrasion rather than chipping.
How much does blue Lace Agate cost?
Indicatively $1–15/ct. Colour, size, clarity and origin move the price a long way within that, so treat it as a range and ask for a quote against a specific stone.
What is blue Lace Agate confused with?
Most often Dyed banded agate, Blue chalcedony and Angelite (anhydrite). A refractive index of 1.530–1.539 and a specific gravity near 2.58–2.64 separate it quickly.
What is blue Lace Agate used for besides jewellery?
carving and sculpture, decorative objects, architecture and interiors, mineral collecting and wellness and body care. Each of those trades buys it in a different form and a different unit.
Related stones
Looking for blue lace agate?
Tell us the size, the quality and what it is for. We source it, photograph it and quote it — with the locality named.
Ask about blue lace agate