ENDLESSLY FASCINATING with their variations in color and patterning, agates are a longtime collector favorite. One of the most interesting is moss agate. Classic moss agates look for all the world as if living moss has been captured in the clear to milky body of the stone. But the distinctive dendritic patterns that branch along and appear tree-like can be black or red as well as the familiar mossy green. Caused by inclusions of minerals such as chlorite or hornblende, or manganese oxide or iron, these stones can even be a greenish yellow in what is sometimes called "gold" moss agate. Besides looking like moss, the patterns can resemble familiar or alien landscapes, insects, or storms.
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