Agate Alphabet

Each of these objects is an agate cabochon, the letters appearing on them formed by the combination of natural iron fractures and a very skilled lapidary artist. The most commonly revealed pattern is a simple cross but occasionally letters are found. It took an agate collector over 20 years to assemble four complete alphabet collections and one of them was auctioned in Beverley Hills recently. Care to guess the wining bid? Link (via The Proceedings of the Athanasius Kircher Society)

David Rainbird
Posted on Thursday, 17th of May 2007 Permalink Comment (0)