Tavernier Thundereggs

I have a strange love/hate relationship with the famous Baker thundereggs. There's a lot about them that I love - and a lot that I find annoying (including the price sometimes!). Baker agates are like those huge amethyst cathedrals - they can be magnificent and it is amazing that they exist - but perhaps they are just a bit too much from an aesthetic point of view! Too gaudy! That is a personal view of course, though it may be one that will get me ostracized by a lot of collectors!

When I unexpectedly discovered the existence of additional beds that were obviously closely related to the Bakers but much less well-known, I really sat up and took notice. One of these was the Taverniers, and these stones seemed to have all the best features of the Bakers, but to package them in a very different and much more haunting and subtle package. Unlike the Bakers, these are rich and dark - they have been compared to glowing embers. These four tiny Taverniers - some of the smallest US stones in my collection - are perfect tiny jewels with a richness and sumptuousness that I have never seen in a baker.