Hand Faceted Stone Agates

[venwood]

Has anyone ever seen an as made spot on these where the spot doesn't look like it is a hit but a spot the grinder left so as not to grind the marble down to much. this could be a hit but it just doesn't look right. It has the edges that look the same as a polished marble that a hole is left.

Thanks to all replies

[popeyecollector]

These are not play or impact injuries to the agate marble. Agates fracture to the inside forming a subsurface "moon." Kids used to soak their damaged agate shooters in lard to make the moons less visible. The marks you see were preexisting imperfections in the raw agate pieces that went deeper than the surface. Your agate was probably a second tier product of the grinder.

Agate marble shooters were only one of many agate products that were made in Germany from the Brazilian geodes - nodules. (when the German supply was exhausted in the early 1800's.) They also made agate cane heads, teapot handles, book covers and jewelry to name a few. The Russians even had an agate room in the Czarist imperial palace. (Still there but in disrepair.)

[lstmmrbls]

Some kids also ground or chipped out parts of their shooters to get a better grip for shooting.