All About Agate Stone

Agate is a unique creation of nature. In the natural environment, in appearance it is indistinguishable from pebbles, but when cut, the amazing unearthly beauty of the stone opens. Mysterious gem drawings attracted people at all times. "Stone of kindness" - so the ancients dubbed it. What is a mineral, what are its healing and magical properties, to whom and how it can be useful - we will tell in our article.

There are two versions of the name of the gem. According to one version, it is consonant with the name of the river Akhates flowing in Sicily, where according to legend, the stone was found for the first time. According to the second, it came from the Greek word agates, which means happy, kind.

The unusual fabulous appearance of the stone gave rise to many legends about its origin. Some peoples have found a fair eye in the face of the mineral, which has fallen into the bowels of the earth and is observing from the depths the order and observance by people of heavenly laws. Others saw in him the remains of a magnificent eagle, who had lost his life in the defense of universal good.

People from ancient times recognized the magical properties of the mineral and used it to improve their lives. To please the goddess of gardening Pomone, small pebbles were buried in the ground along with a seedling of a plant. They were tied to the horns of livestock to increase offspring.Agate was fixed in the eye sockets of the statues of the gods - the ancients believed that such eyes scare away evil forces. The mineral helped in the treatment of victims of bites of poisonous snakes, scorpions, spiders.

A variety of colors and patterns has attracted and inspires stone masters to create skillful gem products for more than a millennium.

Ancient masters carved convex or bas-relief drawings from round and oval stones. Jewelry was called "gems." They depicted gods, revered citizens, heroes, military leaders, philosophers and whole scenes from their lives. Such crafts gained immense popularity in Ancient Greece in 4 BC. e. and in ancient Rome. They were set in a precious frame, worn as medallions, fasteners on clothes, used to decorate seals.

In the 3rd century BC e. stone products adorned the famous palaces of Sicily. In Vienna you can see one of the largest products made of solid stone. This dish is 75 cm in diameter and was made by German masters of the 4th century AD. e.

In the XI-XIII centuries gem cameos came back into fashion thanks to the talent of D. Pisano and the Vittorio brothers, who created exclusive works of art from a miracle stone. Catherine II was seriously interested in agate crafts. Buying up original gem cameos in Europe, she put together a unique collection of elegant gizmos. In love for the gem, Napoleon and Pushkin were noticed.

The great brand of the Russian Empire - Faberge jewelry company also did not leave the mineral without attention, creating from it more than one masterpiece of jewelry art. Among them are figures of animals and birds, Easter eggs. Agate items are stored in the treasures of world famous museums, including the Hermitage and the Armory in the Kremlin.

In the modern world, agate is a sought-after jewelry raw material. The natural pattern of the mineral makes each product unique.

A less transparent, unclear agate is used as an ornamental stone. Tabletops, caskets, vases, desktop writing instruments, decorative panels, candlesticks, figurines, dishes are in demand as ornamental stone items.

In the mineral world, agate belongs to the quartz family and is a quartzite chalcedony. By chemical properties it is an oxide with the formula SiO2.

Its physical characteristics have the following parameters.

• Color. The color palette of agate is as varied as nature itself. Usually a mineral has multi-colored striped layers, but some varieties differ in the original pattern: dots, spots, "eyes".
• Hardness - 7 units
• Density - 2.6 gr. per cube cm.
• Shine - matte.
• Transparency - from opaque to transparent.

We will name the most famous and popular varieties.

• Terry. His homeland is India, Africa or Russia. In its chemical composition has impurities of iron and magnesium. The color of the stone can be any. A distinctive feature is the pattern: it resembles moss, algae, forest thickets and is made by nature in green, gray or black colors. Especially appreciated in the East.

• Dendrite. Inclusions and stains on such specimens look like tree branches.

• Serf or bastion. The angular shape of the picture, sharp lines, bends, stripes are arranged in such a way that resemble the images of maps, fortresses, fortifications, bastions.

• Stellate. On the southwestern coast of England, in the county of Wessex, a gem is born of the world's rarest texture, in which agate replaced coral. It has a pale brown color with a beautiful pattern in the form of stars, white as chalk.

• Landscape. One of the most beautiful agates. It bizarrely combines many shades, blotches, layers that create realistic images of nature.

• Frosty. The pattern on the white-gray stone resembles the ice patterns on the windows.

• Brazilian. A native of Latin America, has a gray-blue color and is famous for its almond-shaped and small size up to 10 cm wide.

• Timan. Our compatriot from the Komi Republic, on the contrary, has large sizes (about 20 cm) and a variety of shapes: pear-shaped, conical and round. An unusual drawing on a section of white-blue, sometimes with a lilac glimpse, of a stone resembles another attraction of this area - the northern lights.

• Iridescent or rainbow. It has a unique effect - it flickers and shimmers from color to color when exposed to lighting.

• "Owl eye" or eye agate. In these beautiful specimens, by the will of nature, the layers are folded into a circle in such a way that they resemble an eye-shaped pattern.

• Agate Ji. A gem with an unusual story. Translated, "ji" means "radiance, brilliance." Mined stone in the Himalayan mountains. They make beads sacred to Tibetan Buddhists. Each bead is engraved and a special pattern is applied. Beads have the status of an amulet and are an important part of Tibetan culture.

• Botswana. Striped patterned agate is named after its large deposit. Combines many colors and shades: pink, white, blue, brown.

• "Dragon Veins", African or Krakle. This is a type of agate treatment. In the process of strong heating, and then sudden cooling, the pattern develops in the form of cracks hidden beneath the surface of the stone, and looks like scaly skin of mythological reptiles. African agate has dark cracks on a light background, and vice versa - crackle or “Dragon Veins”.

• Pink. It is considered one of the rare varieties. Manganese impurities and a high percentage of iron hydroxide give the stone a mirror shine and beautiful colors: from pale pink to reddish, sometimes with a lilac or purple hue.

• Fiery. It is found in Mexico and Arizona. It has a large number of multi-colored stripes of all colors of the rainbow, replacing each other. Red impregnations of goethite gave the stone the effect of a flame blazing from within. Add overflow, radiance and depth to the internal "fire" bubbles of various shapes and sizes. Due to the fragility and difficulty in processing, this stone is a rare guest of the jewelry counter.

• Madagascar. It was found on an African island recently, in 2003. The translucent stone of the wavy structure has the color of a sea wave on a fine day with shades of green, blue, purple, orange, golden, pink.

• Tortoiseshell. At its core, the mineral has a gray-brown color. Blotches of various chemical elements create spots of brown and marshy color, as on the shell of a turtle.

• Blue lace. The stone in the thinnest delicate strip of white and blue.

• Lactic. A kind of white agate with a soft milky white color, with alternating transparent and translucent layers.

• Zheodovy. It is born in a circular form, figuratively speaking, like planet Earth. There are ovoid specimens. The color palette of geode agate is very diverse, impurities of other minerals, for example, amethyst and colorless quartz, may be present.

Agate is a common mineral. It can be found in almost any corner of the globe. In nature, it is found in the form of crystals fused together - drusen, in small crystals - with a brush.

Starting from the 18th century and for a long time, Germany was the main supplier of agate in the world. Now they are successfully extracting minerals in large volumes in Uruguay, Brazil (Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul).

Stone reserves are in India, Mexico, Mongolia, China, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Madagascar, Turkmenistan, Scotland.

The healing properties of agate have been known since antiquity. Even during the period of popularity of gem-cameos, they depicted various symbols of diseases and used as a talisman against ailment. Experts advise wearing mineral products in the area of ​​the body where there is a health problem:

• with diseases of the respiratory tract: cough, bronchitis, asthma will help cope with agate beads or brooch;
• earrings with a stone are effective for problems with teeth and oral cavity;
• for nervous disorders, panic attacks, fears, phobias, lithotherapists recommend wearing an agate ring on the middle finger of the right hand.

The healing properties of agate also depend on the color of the mineral:

• blue stones are effective in violation of the thyroid gland;
• yellow - for diseases of the liver and organs of the gastrointestinal tract;
• red the mineral will become a barrier against bacteria and viruses, tidy up the work of the heart and blood vessels;
• pink agate solves problems with male potency, removing excess fluid from the body with excess weight;
• stone brown, marshy shades able to heal brain diseases, improve blood circulation.

Nature endowed the gem with powerful energy and magical magical properties. The stone is able to return to the reality of the dreamed dreamer, move towards new achievements, make a fateful decision and begin to act in the chosen direction. Wasteful, it will help to avoid unnecessary purchases and expenses. Protect the vulnerable from energy vampirism. In spiritually strong people will develop the gift of foresight.

• White agate - stone of mothers and babies. Protects them from the evil eye, improves lactation. Native American sages believed that agate was able to calm the baby and help to get up earlier.
• Grey the stone helps to establish relationships, safely resolve conflict situations, reconciles people among themselves, bestowing warm, kind thoughts.
• Blue the gem favors creative people who are accustomed to actively act, gives them inspiration and strength for the realization of what was conceived.
• Yellow stone relieves depression, gives optimism, contributes to the formation of a joyful and easy perception of the world. A wonderful mascot for merchants, businessmen.
• Pink - reveals the ability to see the beauty of the world, increases sexuality and attractiveness of the opposite sex.
• Reds samples are designed to protect love bonds.
• Green the stone protects the warmth of the hearth, family and friendly bonds. For these purposes, in past centuries, they buried such a pebble in front of the entrance to the house.
• The black agate has the greatest magical power. This mineral can heal mental pain, protect it from destructive energy-informational influences. It helps a person in difficult times to gather strength, concentrate and make the right decision. Able to improve the health of the gastrointestinal tract, stop nausea.

Agate is the perfect talisman for Taurus. The gem will induce this representative of the elements of the Earth to active actions, add agility, teach patience and relieve irritability.And as a result, it will lead its pet to achieve financial goals and material well-being, which Taurus so value.

Gemini will also be useful. It will help dual and changeable natures make informed decisions based on reason. Doubtful, timid, not too confident in his abilities Cancer agate will lead a happy life. It will strengthen self-esteem, make fragile nature resistant to external influences and allow creative abilities to flourish in full force.

Virgo agate can help during the search for a soulmate. Capricorn and Scorpio will make more welcoming, friendly.

Agate is best kept away from the bathroom and various chemicals. It is able to burn out, therefore should be protected from exposure to sunlight, as well as sudden changes in temperature.

Washes with a brush in a mild soapy solution. Store in a soft cloth bag or closed box.

Alas, on the market you can find fake stones made of plastic and glass, posing as agates. The following criteria will help distinguish natural stone from imitation or fake.

• Contrast stripes, sharp transitions, bright pure colors without inclusions, a solid color without lines should immediately alert. These are signs of fake stone.
• Agate heats up for a long time. With a suspicious specimen, you can conduct a test, putting it for a while on the bend of the elbow or wrist. If the stone is natural, then the coolness will be felt for at least 30 seconds. The artificial specimen will heat up immediately.
• Agate is a solid, durable stone that can scratch glass. His false brothers from pressed crumbs are fragile, and when you try to press with a sharp needle, pieces will fall off from them.
• Natural mineral does not dissolve in water and is not exposed to many acids. Dip the stone in water for several hours. If the liquid is colored or cloudy, then this is a fake.
• Pay attention to the price. The cost of stones with the original pattern is comparable to the cost of amber and turquoise.

These products are created by masters of past centuries. It affects both the beauty of the stone and the skill of the artists.

• Rubens vase from yellow agate with a picture of grapes and satyrs was created by an unknown master of the 4th century BC. e. For some time it belonged to the famous artist, hence the name came from.

• A necklace made of eye agate from Bactria is about 4 thousand years old.

• Kiwi figurine is the work of the masters of the Faberge jewelry company of the early XX century.

• The work of the modern stone-cutting jeweler Felix Ibragimov from landscape agate.

• Cameo is an exquisite piece of jewelry. Vintage pendant in red gold and agate.

• Peach agate pendant.

• Rosary made of pink agate.

• Ring of Fire Agate.

• Necklace with agate geode.

See more about agate in the video below.