This agate was purchased from an estate of an older rockhound that had personally purchased these directly from miners in South America during the 1960's and 70's. It is 100% natural and free of any dye(ing). He cut and polished this stone. Some of the agate faces need reworking. Please see the detailed pictures for an accurate description. It measures approximately, 5.5" x 7.5" across the face, x .5" deep, front to back, at it's widest points. And weighs, 10.9 oz.? There are at least 15 major agate-producing areas in Brazil. 12 of these ?are located in the 5 most southeastern states of the country, Rio ?Grande do Sul, immediately north of Uruguay, being the best known. ?Other areas include Santa Catarina, Parana, Sao Paolo, and Minas ?Gerais. Two other areas are in the state of Bahia in east central Brazil ?and another located in the state of Roraima in the extreme northwest. ?Polyhedroid Agates come exclusively from Paraiba.??Agates were discovered in the late 1920's by a geologist named B.V. ?Freyburg with the Geological Survey of Argentina. Current laws in Brazil ?prohibit the export of unfinished agate??The agates from Brazil are mostly mined from decomposed volcanic ?ash and basalt. ?? In Rio Grande do Sul the "agate mines" are normally just plowed fields ?in which loose agates are found and collected. Brazilian agates are ?very colorful stones with some of the most beautiful inclusion and ?structures imaginable. Agate is very hard and takes an excellent polish.??Most of the Brazilian Agates you find for sale today are the ?"dyed" versions of these stones. When you see a pink, teal, purple or ?green agate it is dyed, not natural.