06/18/2026
✨ Weekly Crystal Spotlight: 1970s Malawi agates ✨
The rock candy of the gem world… Malawi agates are filled with juicy colors and amazing patterns. These formed in the southern part of Malawi near the Mozambique border in the Mesozoic Era, aka “the age of the dinosaurs,” somewhere between 252 to 66 million years ago.
Records of mining these beautiful agates dates back to the 1930s, but it wasn’t until the 1970s when big equipment was hauled in for commercial mining.
There are around 10 commercial mining locations in Malawi, with the 1970 location being the oldest. Much of the material from this mine is larger in size (up to 7” long) and often fractured. So stay on the lookout for fracture-free Malawi! They’re actually considered to be the most fractured agate in the world.
These beauties are most often a blue-orange color, but also feature red, green, purple, and yellow. Originally it was collected by hand on the surface, but now miners are going up to 50 meters into host rock to find these treasures!
