Cacholong, also known as Kalmuck agate, is a form of common opal, although it is often mistaken for agate or chalcedony, and Parker Cleaveland claimed it was a variety of chalcedony.: 249 It has a milky white colour that can also be described as bluish white or cream. With a Mohs hardness of about 6, it is used for carving, cameos, etc. The word "cacholong" has also been used as a synonym for actinolite.
Found in Austria, Czech Republic, Mongolia and Uzbekistan, its name possibly comes from the Cach River in Bukhara.: 249 It is also known to occur in Iceland; in the town of Huttenberg, Austria; in Deerfield: 249 and Pittsfield, Massachusetts, U.S.; in the Faroe Islands; in Elba, Italy; and in Spain; and in Nova Scotia, Canada.
The gemstone sculpture Sultry Midday by Vasily Konovalenko, which depicted two women having tea, incorporated a cacholong teacup.
References
"Cacholong". www.mindat.org. Retrieved 2025-03-10. https://www.mindat.org/min-8001.html ↩
"Cacholong". www.mindat.org. Retrieved 2025-03-10. https://www.mindat.org/min-8001.html ↩
Cleaveland, Parker (1822). An Elementary Treatise on Mineralogy and Geology: Designed for the Use of Pupils, for Persons, Attending Lectures on Theses Subjects, and as a Companion for Travellers in the United States of America. Cummings and Hilliard. https://www.google.com/books/edition/An_Elementary_Treatise_on_Mineralogy_and/8gRQAAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1 ↩
Comstock, John Lee (1859). An Introduction to Mineralogy: Adapted to the Use of Schools and Private Students. Pratt, Oakley. https://www.google.com/books/edition/An_Introduction_to_Mineralogy/QcoQAAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1 ↩
Tindle, A. G. (2008). Minerals of Britain and Ireland. Liverpool University Press. ISBN 978-1-903544-22-8. 978-1-903544-22-8 ↩
Tindle, A. G. (2008). Minerals of Britain and Ireland. Liverpool University Press. ISBN 978-1-903544-22-8. 978-1-903544-22-8 ↩
Cleaveland, Parker (1822). An Elementary Treatise on Mineralogy and Geology: Designed for the Use of Pupils, for Persons, Attending Lectures on Theses Subjects, and as a Companion for Travellers in the United States of America. Cummings and Hilliard. https://www.google.com/books/edition/An_Elementary_Treatise_on_Mineralogy_and/8gRQAAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1 ↩
Cleaveland, Parker (1822). An Elementary Treatise on Mineralogy and Geology: Designed for the Use of Pupils, for Persons, Attending Lectures on Theses Subjects, and as a Companion for Travellers in the United States of America. Cummings and Hilliard. https://www.google.com/books/edition/An_Elementary_Treatise_on_Mineralogy_and/8gRQAAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1 ↩
Comstock, John Lee (1859). An Introduction to Mineralogy: Adapted to the Use of Schools and Private Students. Pratt, Oakley. https://www.google.com/books/edition/An_Introduction_to_Mineralogy/QcoQAAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1 ↩
Jackson, Charles T.; Alger, Francis (1833). "Remarks on the Mineralogy and Geology of Nova Scotia". Memoirs of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 1: 217–330. ISSN 0096-6134. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25057916 ↩
Nash, Stephen E.; Wicker, Richard M.; Hagadorn, James W.; Muntian, Tatiana (2016). Stories in Stone: The Enchanted Gem Carvings of Vasily Konovalenko. University Press of Colorado. ISBN 978-1-60732-502-4. 978-1-60732-502-4 ↩