Since time immemorial, gemstones have fascinated mankind with their natural beauty and charm. Agate is a natural stone with strokes of brilliant colours and fine textures. Beautifully striped concentric bands form shapes like tree rings, eyes and landscapes silhouetted with trees. One who possesses a piece of agate owns a piece of nature. Agate is said to have powers that can bring love, good fortune and clarity of mind. It is used for crafting artefacts like bowls, marbles, mortar and pestles, paper knives, ink stands and seals. It is also worn as a piece of jewellery to make a style statement.
On examining agate stones, one often finds one piece slightly different from the other. This is because each piece of agate is unique in its colour, shade, pattern and texture. A cross section of agate reveals innumerable striking forms that cannot be duplicated.
Agate is a semi precious stone that is formed when a gas bubble trapped in cooling lava coagulates into a gel when filled with alkali and silica-bearing fluids. This solidifies into a nodule in the volcanic rock. Agate is found all over the world in abundance.
Depending on the presence of minerals, oxides, or impurities like mud, sand or ash trapped into the rock at the time of formation, the type of volcano and its geographical location there are different formations of agate found in nature. Some of these include the single eyed Mexican or Cyclops agate, moss agate that have traces of trapped vegetation, dendrite agate with exquisite fern patterns caused by the presence of iron and manganese oxides.
Some agates are especially popular for crafting exquisite jewellery such as the blue grey or pastel blue "Mojave Blue" agate from California. Greek agate is used for making beads and ornaments that range from pale white to tan in colour. Brazilian agate comes in brownish tones that are interspersed with shades of white and grey. These are often dyed for ornamental purposes. Fire agate, another popular variety, glows internally like opal. Riband agate or onyx and the ring or eye agate has concentric circle of varying colours.
Agate is popularly used in costume jewellery like necklaces, earrings, bracelets, brooches and pins that are designed with gold or silver wires.
Agate has many myths associated with it. Some believe that wearing agate cures insomnia, scorpion stings and snake bites, protects against fever, soothes one’s mind, makes the person eloquent, as well as helps one gain pelf and power.
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