In November of 1996, trenching with backhoe outlined approximately 500 tons of agate. The Thunder Bay Agate Mine opened to the public on July 1, 1997. The mine is owned and operated by Dennis Seargeant and his partner Neil Maunula. This article is about the agate from the Thunder Bay Agate Mine, and its importance to geologists and collectors around the world. Agate, from the Thunder Bay Agate Mine, Ontario.
Agate is a semi-precious gemstone that consists of thousands of microscopic quartz crystals.
Chalcedony, which is a member of the quartz family, is the main silica ingredient. The colouring of the chalcedony while in the gel form is picked up while flowing through the surrounding minerals. Other minerals present give the orange, blue, green, and yellow highlights. Chalcedony does not form large quartz crystals. During rock formation, the silicas are the last to form and the last fluids that fill the cracks and cavities.