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Quiz about Agate and her Sisters
Quiz about Agate and her Sisters

Agate and her Sisters Trivia Quiz


Quartz is all around us, a part of many common rocks. Its crystals can form gorgeous gems, or can swirl, layer, and dance in a thousand colors...

A multiple-choice quiz by ragiel. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Author
ragiel
Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
149,626
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
15
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
9 / 15
Plays
1111
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 15
1. Names for microcrystalline quartz gemstones include jasper, agate, chalcedony, and chrysoprase. In fact, only one of the following is not a member of the family. Which? Hint


Question 2 of 15
2. What color is sard? Hint


Question 3 of 15
3. True or false: moss agate contains fossilized remnants of stems or leaves, as well as moss.


Question 4 of 15
4. What is the color of gem-quality chrysoprase? Hint


Question 5 of 15
5. What type of carving on an agate would be suitable if the owner wanted a signet to stamp on her sealing wax? Hint


Question 6 of 15
6. Yes or no: are such treatments as heating and dyeing agates considered fraudulent?


Question 7 of 15
7. Quartz minerals can replace organic matter, resulting in such fossils as petrified wood and ammonites. I'm looking at a colorful cabochon cut from a coprolite. A what?! Hint


Question 8 of 15
8. Chalcedony is translucent with minimal layering of color. Some colors are prized and used in expensive jewelry.


Question 9 of 15
9. The agate appears in older birthstone lists as one of the stones for which month?

Answer: (Name of month)
Question 10 of 15
10. The prophet Muhammad wore a silver ring engraved with a prayer honoring God. What stone bore this engraving? Hint


Question 11 of 15
11. A widely-held ancient and medieval belief about green jasper is: Hint


Question 12 of 15
12. Minerals used by Native Americans to craft arrowheads include flint, quartz crystal, and banded agate.


Question 13 of 15
13. I'm looking at a really elaborate cameo, probably carved in the 19th century. Distinct layers of white, red, and black have been used to detail the portrait and clothing. What is this type of stone called? Hint


Question 14 of 15
14. If you are offered a piece of Victorian "Scotch pebble" jewelry in an antique store, it will probably be made of silver set with agate.


Question 15 of 15
15. Reasons for the continuous popularity of the agate gems include which of these? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Names for microcrystalline quartz gemstones include jasper, agate, chalcedony, and chrysoprase. In fact, only one of the following is not a member of the family. Which?

Answer: amethyst

Bloodstone is a green jasper with red spots of iron oxide; carnelian is translucent orange-red to brown, and onyx describes either black and white layering or a dense black. Amethyst is also a quartz gem but is cut from a large single crystal.
2. What color is sard?

Answer: yellowish brown to deep brown

Modern terminology includes many of these shades in the carnelian group.
3. True or false: moss agate contains fossilized remnants of stems or leaves, as well as moss.

Answer: False

Included mineral crystals are responsible for the "leaves and moss" in this agate. No fossilized vegetation here!
4. What is the color of gem-quality chrysoprase?

Answer: bright green

The beautiful bright green results from nickel compounds in the local rock.
5. What type of carving on an agate would be suitable if the owner wanted a signet to stamp on her sealing wax?

Answer: intaglio

Sealing those letters with a cameo would result in an indented image that probably be difficult to make out. If the cameo were "habille" (ha-bee-YAY) it would have gold and gemstone jewelry added to the image (necklaces, hair ornaments, etc.) I would expect it would be even harder to see, not to mention a pain to clean.

Intaglio carving is done in relief and produces a clear raised picture on the stamp.
6. Yes or no: are such treatments as heating and dyeing agates considered fraudulent?

Answer: No

Dyes to enhance the color, heating to increase translucency, and marking the surface with alkali to create patterns are all used today. These techniques were discovered in prehistoric days and are considered legitimate.
7. Quartz minerals can replace organic matter, resulting in such fossils as petrified wood and ammonites. I'm looking at a colorful cabochon cut from a coprolite. A what?!

Answer: fossilized animal droppings

Often sold as "dino doodoo" or something similar. In fact, most coprolite formed within the last few hundred thousand years, long after the time of the dinosaurs.
8. Chalcedony is translucent with minimal layering of color. Some colors are prized and used in expensive jewelry.

Answer: True

Currently favored colors include blue, lavender, and lavender-pink.
9. The agate appears in older birthstone lists as one of the stones for which month?

Answer: June

Still given as an alternative in some lists; however the lists displayed by modern jewelers emphasize more expensive stones like pearl and alexandrite. Coincidence?
10. The prophet Muhammad wore a silver ring engraved with a prayer honoring God. What stone bore this engraving?

Answer: carnelian

The name carnelian is probably a reference to its meatlike red color. Another name for this stone is cornelian, believed to suggest the red fruit of the cornel cherry. Both names are acceptable.
11. A widely-held ancient and medieval belief about green jasper is:

Answer: It's lucky for farmers because it prevents drought.

The hunters and lovers would probably have noticed some benefit if they expected to, but that navigator who relied on jasper for a magnetic compass would have been in serious trouble. Jasper has no magnetic properties.
12. Minerals used by Native Americans to craft arrowheads include flint, quartz crystal, and banded agate.

Answer: True

Yes, points made from all these minerals have been found. The prettier stones worked about as well as drab ones but may have been created partly for ornamental or magical reasons.
13. I'm looking at a really elaborate cameo, probably carved in the 19th century. Distinct layers of white, red, and black have been used to detail the portrait and clothing. What is this type of stone called?

Answer: sardonyx

Utilizing multiple colored layers naturally and effectively is a test of the carver's skill.
14. If you are offered a piece of Victorian "Scotch pebble" jewelry in an antique store, it will probably be made of silver set with agate.

Answer: True

The supply of fine-quality Scottish agate was never enormous and dwindled rapidly when Victoria popularized the jewels. The Scottish silversmiths imported beautiful South American material and continued the tradition.
15. Reasons for the continuous popularity of the agate gems include which of these?

Answer: all of these

A talisman for all seasons, all eras, all people.... yet humble and friendly.
Source: Author ragiel

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ozzz2002 before going online.
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