The agate-location Sierra Pintada is located near to the township of San Rafael in the Pre-Cordilleras in Mendoza County in Argentina.
Those agates are branded as “Condor-Agates from Patagonia” in the United Staates of America. There´s no relation between birds or fireland to these agates - this practice of given non scientific product-names is only to protect the trade.
At this location vein-agates were found since the 1950ies. The location is on private property, but occasionally collecting for rockhounds is allowed.
Typically for Sierra Pintada-agates are vein-agates from a parallel or polygonal shape. Typical for this deposit is a colorization that is not in relation to the common fortification-banding of the agate. This pattern, caused by secondary colorization is called “Chromatography”.
Very rare pseudomorphs after globular shaped carbonate agates do occur. Even more rare are pseudomorphs similar to the polygonal agates from Paraiba, Brasil.
Extremly rare are “Water-Level-Agates” from Sierra Pintada..
More informations about these agates is given on the CD-ROM “Der Schatz der Sierra Pintada” - published at the agate-archives
Agates from this location are offered in the agate-archive .
Rough nodules and facepolished specimen from this location are purchased by www.achatwelt.de
Another source for this type of agates is Marta Vandemandier at www.agatas-argentinas.com.ar
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