Banded Agate

Antique Gold Carved Banded Agate Scarab Brooch
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US $124.84

TAIRONA PRE COLUMBIAN ORANGE BANDED AGATE DISC BEAD 10 MM
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US $8.00

Purple Banded Agate 925 Sterling Silver Earrings 15
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US $7.99

Purple Banded Agate 925 Sterling Silver Pendant 125
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US $7.99

BANDED LACE 360 GramsAgateCrystalLapidary JasperRock SlabCabbing
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US $9.38

Pink Banded Agate 925 Sterling Silver Earrings 1
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US $7.99

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Agates - Inexpensive and Beautiful Stones for Today's Fashion Jewelry

Agate jewelry has been very popular for several centuries now. Jewelry designers choose this stone because it is readily available virtually on all continents, it is relatively inexpensive, and can be found in a wide range of patterns and colors. To further increase its popularity, the stone can be colored and treated to improve its appearance, and to make the colors move vivid. Agates today are often framed in sterling silver settings to create beautiful silver pendants, brooches, pins, and a variety of other jewelry items. The color and pattern combinations available in nature give jewelry designers an opportunity to express their creative and artistic talents and tastes through the superb jewelry that they produce. Jewelers typically prefer to cut the stone into cabochons or beads; facet cut pieces are rarely used. It is interesting to note however, that the use of agates for jewelry and other ornamental purposes also occurred to the Ancients. For examples, records show that the Sumerians and Egyptians used agate as part of their burial rituals. Artifacts found from archaeological digs include amulets, jars, and other ornamental pieces.

Agates are a form of silicon dioxide or quartz. Since quartz is found in great abundance throughout the world, it is logical that agates are found in a multitude of countries around the world. The structure of agates can best be described as cryptocrystalline or microcrystalline. In plain English, this means that the quartz crystals in the stone are so tiny that they certainly cannot be seen by the naked eye, and in fact, are invisible even under low magnification. This crystalline structure makes agates particularly strong. Typical agates have a hardness of about 7 on the Mohs’ scale. Most agates are opaque, or in some rare instances, translucent. The colors defy imagination – ranging from whites and creams to bright blues, hues of purple, and bright red. The complex patterns and vivid colors of Botswana agates are well known in the world of jewelry. Agates generally occur as nodules and veins. If the layers of quartz are concentric, the stone is cut to reveal the banded or striped patterns associated with jewelry grade agates. Madagascar, India, China, Russia and Australia are some of the largest producers of agates in the world today.

The myths, folklore, and legend associated with agates are rivaled only by the colors and patterns in which they are found. In the old days, agates were believed to help protect the wearer and promote strength and healing. The stone is also believed to protect the wearer from bad dreams. There is a quite energy associated with agate, and the stone is particularly beneficial to subtle bodies. Agates also help promote positive energy and optimism.

About the Author

Dale is a geo-professional in the Southwestern United States, and an avid and amateur gemmologist and a silver jewelry buff.

Lola Rose Banded Agate Graduated 18-1/2 Necklace