Juchem agate from Germany

Dimensions: approximately 4.5 x 3.5 cm.

Colorful agate from the Juchem quarry. The area around Idar-Oberstein in the southwestern part of Germany was a volcanically active area about 275 million years ago. In the "Juchem" quarry near the village of Niederwörresbach, 2 rock types can be distinguished which are the direct result of this volcanism. Between these 2 basaltic rock formations there is an approximately 6-m thick package of sedimentary rock. This means, that no volcanic activity took place for some time. The whole period (including that of sedimentation) lasted about 4 million years.