Agates from the Sankt Egidien area are highly searched after by agate-collectors. Sankt Egidien is the title for four small neighboured finding-locations: the region north of the nickel-smelter (the so called “west-field”) near Sankt Egidien, the area near the little village Kuhschnappel and the area near Hohenstein - Ernsthal (“Heiterer Blick”), as well for the new findings of Ruesdorf. Those agates are forming lithophysae in a rhyolithic rock. Mostly the lithophysae are having a globular shape and are reaching sizes up to three feet diameter (Leonhard). The primary places of origin are only small (up to 20 x 50 meters). But on the surface the deposites are wide spreaded by erosion.

Depending on how the lithophysae is cut, the nodules are bearing stars or irregular formations of fortification-agate. Besides the agate a lithophysae can bear phanerocrystallinic quartz and / or red to greenish jasper. Very interesting is the formation of so called “atoll-agates”. This variety is showing a concentrical formation of ring-shaped agate-filled cells. Near to the nickel-smelter “´water-level-agates” are very rare, at the region Hohenstein-Ernsthal this formation of agate is more common. The agates from Sankt Egidien are showing reddish colours - blue, yellow and green are rare.

At the moment no rockhounding in the area is allowed by the farmers.

More informations about the locality is given at : www.achatbuch.de

Additional literature:

Bernd Lahl “Achat und Jaspis zwischen Sankt Egidien und Hohenstein-Ernsthal in Sachsen “ page 61 - 66

Reiner Haake”Über die Achate von Sankt Egidien in Sachsen” Mineralienwelt 1 / 1990 page 39 - 43.

W.Leonhardt: “ Die neuen Riesen-Achate im Westfeld von Sankt Egidien, Sachsen “, Mineralienwelt 5/1997, page 27 - 31