Crab Agate Beads

Crab or Crab Fire ? ...or maybe just Crabby

I love the look of crab agate beads.  Most have a beautiful deep orangey red coloration, a crackly finish and are very affordable. They are also commonly called "crab fire agate", though they should not be confused with fire agate which is an entirely different type of stone, very expensive and found only in Mexico. Having done a little Internet research on this topic, there seems to be some controversy over use of the word "fire" in crab fire agate, hence I will stick with the more simple name. Crab agates are heat treated in order to achieve the crackly finish and the photo below provides a good example of the different kinds of crackly patterns you can see. -They almost look like cooked crab shell to me...

Crab agate stones can pick up the moisture and oils from your hands and the crackles will temporarily disappear. The next photo is a good example of what crab agate can look like after a lot of handling in a photo shoot.  Still nice looking with a semi-translucent deep orange, don't you think?  The little crackles will amazingly reappear after being wiped down with a soft cloth or dipped in a cup of water with a drop of mild dish detergent. So don't worry, the crackles are there to stay.