Judging quality
Solid earthy colors in irregular patches with no banding. It is harder than it looks and rings when tapped.
Chalcedony
Mookaite
Australian radiolarite — silicified deep-sea microfossil ooze — in mustard yellow, plum and brick red. Dense, takes a glassy polish and comes from one station in the Kennedy Ranges.
Care
Durable. Water and cloth.
History & lore
The name comes from Mooka Creek; mooka is said to derive from a Wajarri word for running waters.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Mookaite
- What is Mookaite?
- Australian radiolarite — silicified deep-sea microfossil ooze — in mustard yellow, plum and brick red. Dense, takes a glassy polish and comes from one station in the Kennedy Ranges.
- How hard is Mookaite and what is it made of?
- Mookaite is a Chalcedony-family mineral with the composition SiO2 (radiolarite). It crystallizes in the trigonal system and rates 6.5-7 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in red, yellow, cream, magenta.
- Where does Mookaite come from?
- Notable localities for Mookaite include Mooka Creek, Western Australia.
- How do you tell good Mookaite from filler?
- Solid earthy colors in irregular patches with no banding. It is harder than it looks and rings when tapped.
- How do you care for Mookaite?
- Durable. Water and cloth.
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.