Agate

Said by the ancients to render the wearer invisible, Agate has been admired by humanity for thousands of years. Its beauty and durability have prompted man to use it in both practical and ornamental forms.

One of the more outlandish uses is binding an Agate to each horn of your oxen to ensure a good harvest. The danger here is that your appropriately agated beasts of burden may then become invisible and a little hard to find.

In 1709 a Brazilian priest planned to use agates as antigravity devices on an air ship he had designed.

Agate is believed to cure insomnia, ensure pleasant dreams, protect from danger, promote strength, healing and a bold heart. Wearers become temperate, continent and cautious. Agate is a cooling stone; it reduces fever, quenches thirst, quiets the pulse and heart throbs and ensures good health and a long and prosperous life.

Agate is formed in a unique way and many fossils are actually agatized material that has replaced the original organic substance. For example, petrified wood is fossilized wood that has had its organic matter replaced by agate.

The main conditions necessary for agate formation are the presence of silica from devitrified volcanic ash, water from rainfall or ground sources, manganese, iron and other mineral oxides that form the bands and inclusions.

Agate is a fine-grained fibrous variety of Chalcedony Quartz and comes in many different forms ranging from transparent to opaque. Varieties include Blue, Blue Lace, Crazy Lace, Green, Indian, Moss, Tree, and Wood.

Most popular are: Blue lace agate which has swirly white bands in a blue background; moss agate is so named for its moss-like pattern; fire agate is a brown-bodied stone containing yellow, green, and orange spots, with an iridescent shimmer like opal.

As there are so many varieties of agate, it is largely up to the buyer to determine its value. Most agate is in the low price range but some picture stones, carvings and unique pieces may command higher prices. The popularity of fire agate has increased in recent years, as has its price.