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The agate area around stacion Ojo Laguna is situated midway between Sierra Gallego and Sierra El Oso, about 12,5 miles south of Rancho Aqua Nueva.

It is the most southern locality for agates in the Sierra Gallego region. After all the agates were picked from the surface, digging by hand started and rather dangerous tunnels were excavated. This inefficient mining soon stagnated. In 1993 a first bigger lot of rough Lagunas (about 500 pounds) were mined and marketed as Laguna No. 1.

Often you will find green Celadonite, a clay mineral, as coating on the exterior of nodules. The rind is very rough, the shape irregular. Only from La Buja Grande more smooth exteriors are known.

Moss, and carbonates as primary crystallization along the edge are common as well as carbonates as last crystallization in the middle. “Black Widows” is a term for fractures filled with black carbonates, iron and manganese minerals are due for the colour. They are not rare, they are a disappointment for collectors but on the other side a characteristic for Laguna agates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Further informations are given from Brad L. Cross in his book “The Agates of Northern Mexico”.

Conejeros claim: brilliant reds, orange, yellow,many shadow agates, you will find nearly every colour

Mezquite claim: pale red and blue, banding is blurry

La Buja Grande Claim: red lines on blue, transparent chalcedony

Alianza claim: pastel colours of purple and pink, drusy quartz with black carbonates. New findings since 2010 are showing a wider banding but more intensively colors.

Los Hermanos is a Claim that produces fine coloured but only weak banded nodular agate in the years 2004 and 2005.

Los Tamales Claim: brown and pink in nicely contrast to white.

Macedonia claim: mostly darker colors and broad banding.

Diana claim: sometimes nicely colored and fine banded. Usually similar to Mezquite claim.

Los Apuros / La Herradura Claim: On this place very large nodules up to 30 cm cab be found. The Banding is weak and the colors are yellowis and reddish with bluegrey. Sometimes pseudomorphs do occur.

El Puerto Claim: pale colours, sometimes creamy shades.

San Martin Claim: Colours and structure sometimes among the best. Very often the nodules are showing a much too large part of silicified minerals at the bottom - this is giving only a mediocer pattern.

There is always a broad variability in colour and structure. All localities show variegated bands..