Apache Agate Collectors Guide
An Overview
Apache Agate is considered by many to be one of the finest agates in Mexico’s treasure chest.**** Although it is found in the same time-equivalent geologic formation as**** its Laguna, Coyamito, Moctezuma, and other banded agate cousins, it very rarely has distinct or sharp bands of individual color. Instead, this spectacular agate contains bright red, vivid orange, and dark yellow splashes of color that appear to ‘float’ from one colorless band to another like ribbons or wind-blown veils. These draped folds and swirling veils seem to be magically suspended in colorless to light blue agate or chalcedony. On rare occasions, bands of light lavender are found.
The agate consistently has a very finely pitted lime green to reddish-orange exterior surface, easily distinguishable from other agates in the region. Only nodular and vein-like nodules are found; the nodules being rugged and extremely irregular in shape. Many of the Apache Agate rinds tend to have raised striations that are extremely narrow and can extend around the entire agate, an external feature perhaps representing the cast of a host rock cooling feature. Some nodules appear “flattened” and triangular in shape.
The finest museum specimens are many times from nodules with cavities. Adjacent to these cavities the most exquisite patterns and colors are found. Many of the centers and "healed fractures" are filled with a secondary, tan-colored calcite, which can be massive or in beautiful, delicate sprays.
Apache Agate, also known as Apache Flame Agate, is found about 28 miles (45 kilometers) east-southeast of the city of Nuevo Casas Grandes. Luis Arzola (Juárez, Chih.) and Ramon Peña (Juárez, Chih.) discovered this deposit in 1957 and mined it until approximately 1963. The first use of the name appears in an advertisement for Ed’s House of Gems (Portland, Oregon) in the April-May 1960 issue of The Mineralogist. The rough material was offered for $2.50 per pound.**
The nodules have historically been mined from a large open pit that ultimately measured approximately 50 square feet (4.5 square meters) and reached a depth of approximately 25 feet (7.5 meters). The host andesite is almost entirely weathered to beige-colored montmorillonite clay. The agates are always found in "pods" or "clusters" within the weathered andesite.
The claim was named El Apache by Luis Arzola after the nearby ejido. In 1968, Benny Fenn filed claim on the area and with help from his brother-in-law, Harold Jorgenson, worked the area for several years. Although official records were never kept, they produced a large amount of agate utilizing a bulldozer. Mining activity ceased when little agate was being produced and the pit filled with water. Even during the initial mining activity, less than 5% of the material was considered first quality. In 1990, the ranch owner doubled the size of the pit for use as a cattle-watering tank and no agate was found. In 1995, Eugene Mueller commercially worked the deposit for over one month and only produced an estimated 700 pounds (317.5 kilograms) of mine run Apache Agate. The deposit has not been worked commercially since.
This locality has produced what many consider to be the world's finest scenic agate, the Apache “Hooded Owl” Agate. The complete history of the scenic agate is discussed in a separate article.
Several varieties of Apache Agate exist and include:
Apache Flame Agate**** - Synonymous with Apache Agate.
Fisheye Agate**** is a nodular variety of Apache Agate without banding but instead contains numerous minute spheres resembling fisheyes.**** The white and orange eyes average 1/16- to 1/8-inch (1.5 to 3 millimeters) and are encased in a colorless to light blue chalcedony. Fisheyes appear along the outer edge of many Apache Agate nodules. This agate is found just to the south of the Apache Agate diggings on Rancho La Viñata.
According to reports, a separate deposit of Fisheye Agate was found north of Janos, Chihuahua near La Ascensión in 1967. The agate was found as surface material, in one- to two-inch (2.5 to 5 centimeters) pebbles, with an opaque rough surface. It is splotched with brown, pink, purple, or cream-colored circular patches, each with a central pit approximately 1/16-inch (1.5 millimeters) deep. Fisheye Agate looks unpromising as rough, however, tumbling produces a clear agate pebble with numerous multi-color eyes. Cruz Duran of Colonia México, Chihuahua purportedly mined this material, however, this site has never been confirmed by the author.
Apache Plume – An extremely limited quantity of yellow-brown plume has been found along the outer perimeter of isolated nodules and is known as Apache Plume Agate. The plumes rarely exceed ¼-inch (6 millimeters) in length.
Brad L. Cross
Austin, TX