![]() It’s not sure exactly why the crystals form in this fashion instead of one of the more common ones found across the rest of the world. It appears to occur in the seams of the volcanic bedrock of the island. The samples which emerge from this area are colored white, purple, and green depending on the exact deposit. ![]() Usually, when we refer to “recent” mineral discovery, we’re talking about in the past 40 years but in this case, it’s a very recent addition to the trade. It appears that the material first showed up on the market in about 2016. The Beach is in Western Sulawesi, an island in Indonesia. The material was originally sold as Manakarra Grape Agate before the trade name simply became Grape Agate. The material was instantly recognizable as being unique, which is rare for a modern mineral discovery. The Manakarra Beach in Indonesia appears to be the first place that miners discovered it, shortly followed by a minor rush of people trying to get more of it. Grape Agate is actually found in only one place in the world. Make sure to store it out of direct sunlight when displayed. Thus, a specimen fading isn’t 100% proof that you have a dyed specimen. Note that, like amethyst, grape agate will begin to lose color after extensive sun exposure. Natural grape agate won’t discolor either. If it does… well, you have a dyed specimen. The best way to tell is to soak it in water, or even a bit of acetone, and see if the solution changes color. Once it’s in hand, it can be a bit easier to tell. If a deep purple piece of Grape Agate appears cheap… you’re probably looking at a dyed specimen. Most dyed specimens will be a single color, almost always purple, and it can be hard to detect if you’re buying online without very high-definition photographs. ![]() Grade A+ specimens get expensive, and some unscrupulous dealers will take advantage of that. The simple addition of a purple dye can make a piece of grape agate worth much more than if it only had pale coloration. What you will run into are dyed specimens. It’s hard to fake a Grape Agate specimen without having to carve real stone, and the practice appears to have fallen off as the material became more common. Bad dye jobs and rough carving seem to have been the rule, just fakes formed from dyed chalcedony. The few I’ve seen were very obvious to the trained eye. Each sphere was roughly the size of a marble in most cases. The biggest tell was the consistent, large size of the spheres. These were usually quite rough, with carving marks readily apparent. That said, I’ve seen the occasional specimen from the very early days of this material hitting the market. Using the usual suspects, like glass, would take far too long and be too labor-intensive to make any money for the seller. There isn’t really a market for a completely fake grape agate. These can range from 2-20mm in size, depending on the individual specimen. The majority of specimens will have a wide size of “grapes” across them. These are often repackaged and sold in gemstone bottles and other kitschy objects you’ll find in some crystal shops. They’re well-attached, but break-offs are a regular occurrence during shipping. It should be noted that you’ll often lose a “grape” or two during transit when ordering specimens. What To expect When Ordering Grape Agate Online Bold colors tend to command a higher price, as do larger specimens. Grape Agate is graded by coloration for the most part. There is no internal banding, and the stones are comprised of relatively pure silica without the plume, moss, and other inclusions common in agates.
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