Flame Agate

I bought this flame agate from one of Salisbury, Rhodesia's top jewellers who had an office and workshop upstairs in a very ordinary office building. We came to know him through my aunt Christian who, being comfortably off, was one one of his regular customers. We used to drop in on him and, although he knew he would only sell us a small piece, he was always welcoming.

Agate - this picture is of another agate of little value - is a cryptocrystalline form of silica, silicon dioxide, with the same chemical formula as quartz, opal, chalcedony and jasper, but distinguished by being banded. Agate is relatively common but the Rhodesian 'flame' variety is much sought-after.

The flame agate I bought was large, 120mm long, but cheap because the tip of the flame had broken off while it was being cut. Agate like this forms in a hole in, usually, a lava such as basalt, the layers of silica depositing from the outside inwards, the colour varying on what trace minerals the depositing hot water was carrying. I later dropped and broke it again but you can see where I stuck it back together.

In the early days we bought pieces like this malachite pendant. As time went on we found ourselves with more money and began to appreciate the wealth of gemstones produced in Rhodesia, so we were able to buy more expensive pieces, including a beautiful gold pendant set with garnets which we called 'Cleopatra'.

When we came to leave Rhodesia and were worrying about how we would get our money back to the UK, the jeweller suggested we bought a very valuable stone from him which he would disguise by setting it in a relatively cheap ring. In the event we didn't need to use this form of smuggling but I have often wondered if, had we bought the gem, whether we would ever have parted with it. The stone he showed us was a perfect Sandawana emerald from a mine near Bulawayo.

The business was called Petra Jewels but I deeply regret I can't remember the jeweller's name.