All about agate stone

Agate is a unique creation of nature. In its natural environment, in appearance it is indistinguishable from pebbles, but when cut, the amazing unearthly beauty of the stone opens. Mysterious gem drawings have attracted people at all times. "The stone of kindness" - so the ancients christened 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 appearance of the name of the gem. According to one version, it is consonant with the name of the river Akhates, which flows in Sicily, where according to legend the stone was found for the first time. In the second, it comes 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 in the face of the mineral a fair eye, which has fallen into the bowels of the earth and is observing from the depths the order and observance of the heavenly laws by people. Others saw in him the remains of a majestic eagle that had lost its life in defending universal good.

Since ancient times, people have recognized the magical properties of the mineral and used it to improve their lives. To please the gardening goddess Pomone, small pebbles were buried in the ground with a plant seedling. Tied them to livestock horns to increase offspring. In the sockets of the statues of the gods, they fixed agate - the ancients believed that such eyes scare away evil forces. Mineral helped in the treatment of poisonous snake, scorpion and spider victims.

A variety of colors and patterns for more than one millennium attracts and inspires stone craftsmen to create masterful gemstone products.

Ancient masters carved out convex or bas-relief drawings from rounded and oval stones. Jewelry got the name "gems". Gods, honored citizens, heroes, warlords, philosophers and whole scenes from their lives were depicted on them. Such crafts acquired great popularity in ancient Greece in 4 BC. er and in ancient Rome. They were set in precious frames, worn as medallions, fasteners on clothes, used to decorate seals.

In the 3rd century BC. er stone decorations adorned the famous palaces of Sicily. In Vienna, you can contemplate one of the largest products made of solid stone. This dish is 75 cm in diameter and made by German craftsmen of the 4th century AD. er

In the XI-XIII centuries, camema gems returned to the fashion again thanks to the talent of D. Pisano and the Vittorio brothers, who created exclusive works of art from a miracle stone. Catherine II was not so much carried away by crafts from agate. Buying original camema gems in Europe, she has collected a unique collection of exquisite gizmos. In the love of the gem were seen Napoleon and Pushkin.

The great brand of the Russian Empire - the jewelry company Faberge 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. Products from agate are kept in the treasuries of famous museums of the world, including the Hermitage and the Armory in the Kremlin.

In the modern world, agate is a sought-after jewelery raw material. The natural pattern of the mineral makes every piece unique.

Less transparent, hazy agate is used as an ornamental stone. Countertops, caskets, vases, desk stationery, decorative panels, candlesticks, figurines, and tableware are in demand as objects made of ornamental stone.

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.

• Colour. The color palette of agate is as diverse as nature itself. Usually the mineral has multi-colored striped layers, but some varieties have an original pattern: dots, specks, "eyes".
• Hardness - 7 units
• Density - 2.6 gr. per cubic meter cm.
• Shine - matte.
• Transparency - from opaque to transparent.

Let's name the most known and popular versions.

• 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 grounds and is made by nature in green, gray or black colors. Especially appreciated in the East.

• Dendritic. Inclusions and divorces on such instances look like tree branches.

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

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

• Landscape. One of the most beautiful agates. In a bizarre way, it combines many shades, inclusions, layers, which create realistic images of nature.

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

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

• Timan. Our compatriot from the Komi Republic, on the contrary, has a large size (about 20 cm) and a variety of shapes: pear-shaped, cone-shaped and round. The unusual pattern on the cut of blue and white, sometimes with a lilac glimpse, of the stone resembles another landmark 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 light.

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

• Agat Dzi. Gem with an unusual story. In translation, "ji" means "radiance, brilliance." A stone is mined in the Himalayan mountains. Beads are made of it for Buddhists of Tibet. 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 a variety of colors and shades: pink, white, blue, brown.

• "Dragon Veins", African or crackle. This is a type of agate treatment. In the process of strong heating, and then rapid cooling, the pattern folds in the form of cracks hidden under 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 “Vienna Vein”.

• Pink. It is considered one of the rare species. 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 purple or purple tint.

• Fiery. It is found in Mexico and Arizona. It has a large number of multicolored stripes of all colors of the rainbow, replacing each other. Red blotches of goethite gave the stone the effect of a flame burning inside. Add overflow, shine and depth to the internal "fire" bubbles of various shapes and sizes. Due to its fragility and difficulty in processing, this stone is a rare guest of a jewelry counter.

• Madagascar. It was found on an African island just recently, in 2003. The translucent wavy stone has aquamarine on a fine day with hues of green, blue, violet, orange, golden, pink.

• Tortoiseshell. At its core, the mineral has a gray-brown color. Intersperses of various chemical elements create patches of brown and marshy color, like on the tortoise shell.

• Blue lace. Stone in the thinnest tracery strip of white and blue.

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

• Geode. Born in a round shape, figuratively speaking, like the planet Earth. There are ovoid specimens. The color palette of agate geode is very diverse, there may be impurities of other minerals, for example, amethyst and colorless quartz.

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

Since the XVIII century and for a long time, the main supplier of agate in the world has been Germany. Now successfully mined mineral in large volumes in Uruguay, Brazil (Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul).

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

The healing properties of agate are known since antiquity. Even during the period of popularity, gems cameos depicted various symbols of diseases and used them as a guard against illness. Experts advise you to wear mineral products in the area of ​​the body where there is a violation of health:

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

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

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

Nature has endowed the gem with powerful energy and magical magical properties. The stone is able to bring the reunited visionary back to reality, move on to new achievements, make a fateful decision and begin to act in the chosen direction. Wasteful, he will help avoid unnecessary purchases and spending. Ranymyh protect from energy vampirism. In strong spirit people will develop the gift of foresight.

• White agate - a stone of mums and kids. Protects them from the evil eye, improves lactation. Native American sages believed that agate is able to calm the baby and help to stand up earlier.
• Gray the stone helps to improve relations, to resolve conflicts safely, reconciles people with each other, giving warm, kind thoughts.
• Blue The gem favors creative people who are accustomed to be active, gives them inspiration and strength to realize their plans.
• Yellow stone relieves depression, gives optimism, contributes to the formation of a joyful and easy perception of the world. A wonderful talisman for merchants, businessmen.
• Pink - reveals the ability to see the beauty of the surrounding world, increases sexuality and attractiveness of the opposite sex.
• Red Samples are designed to protect love bonds.
• Green Stone protects the warmth of the hearth, family and friendship. For these purposes, in the past centuries, such a pebble was buried in front of the house.
• The black agate has the greatest magic power. This mineral is able to heal the heartache, protect it from the destructive energy-informational influences. He helps a person in a difficult moment 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. This representative of the elements of the Earth gem will lead to action, add agility, teach patience and relieve irritability. And as a result, will lead his pet to achieve financial goals and material well-being, which Tauruses so appreciate.

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

Deve agate can assist in the search for the second half. Capricorns and Scorpions will make more welcoming, friendly.

Agate is best kept away from the bathroom and various chemicals. He is able to fade, so should be protected from exposure to sunlight, as well as sudden changes in temperature.

Washes with a brush in a mild soap solution. Store in a soft cloth pouch or a closed box.

Alas, in the market you can find fake stones of plastic and glass, issued for agates. The following criteria will help distinguish natural stone from imitation or forgery.

• Contrast stripes, sharp transitions, bright pure colors without inclusions, monochromatic without lines, color should be alerted immediately. These are signs of a fake stone.
• Agate heats up for a long time. With a suspicious specimen, you can test, putting it for some time on the crook of your 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 hard, durable stone that can scratch glass. His false brothers from the pressed crumb are fragile, and when they try to press down with a sharp needle, the pieces begin to fall off of them.
• The natural mineral does not dissolve in water and is not affected by many acids. Dip a stone into the water for a few hours. If the liquid is stained or dimmed, then before you fake.
• Pay attention to the price. The cost of the 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 stone and the skill of artists.

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

• Necklace of eye agate from Bactria for about 4 thousand years.

• The kiwi figurine is the work of the masters of the Faberge jewelry company at the beginning of the 20th century.

• Works of the modern stonecutter-jeweler Felix Ibragimov from landscape agate.

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

• Peach agate pendant.

• Rosary agate rosary.

• Fiery agate ring.

• Necklace with agate geode

See more about agate in the video below.