What is Agate

What is Agate

I’ve always been drawn to agate for its beautiful range of colors and captivating patterns, but it made me wonder—what exactly is agate?

Agate is a variation of the larger gemstone family known as Chalcedony, which belongs to an even broader family of gemstones: quartz. To better understand agate, we will work our way down from the Quartz family.

Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of oxygen and silicon. It’s the second most abundant mineral in the Earth’s continental crust, following feldspar. On the Mohs hardness scale, quartz ranks 7, making it durable and ideal for jewelry. Some well-known members of the quartz family include clear Rock Crystal, purple Amethyst, and sunny yellow Citrine.

Chalcedony, a member of the quartz family, is made up of microscopic crystals, which gives it a translucent or opaque appearance. It comes in a beautiful array of natural colors, including white, gray, brown, blue, pink, red, orange, and yellow. These colors are often enhanced through techniques like dyeing or heating. In antique jewelry, Chalcedony appears in various forms, such as onyx, hardstone cameos, Carnelian, Bloodstone, Chrysoprase, Jasper, and my favorite, agate.

Agate is a specific variety of Chalcedony characterized by its unique bands of color. These bands can range from transparent to translucent or opaque, offering a mesmerizing array of looks. There are more than 100 types of agate, including picture agate, moss agate, dendritic agate, and the fiery brilliance of Fire Agate.

Beyond its beauty, agate is known for its calming effects and is often associated with health, grounding, and balance. If you struggle with excessive worry or could use a talisman of strength and stability, agate is an excellent choice for promoting a sense of wellbeing.

Back to blog

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.