What Makes An Agate an Agate?

What Makes An Agate an Agate?

As rockhounds, we’ve seen a lot of “agates.” We see them on our rockhound group page, in private collections, in our rock shop, and a lot of other places where rocks are traded, collected and sold. There are so many different kinds of agates; for example, the one in the main picture above is an incredibly large Mexican Crazy Lace agate specimen. It was photographed by Doxymo. But this is just one type of agate among literally thousands of agates.

There are thousands of agates found from every part of the world. They sometimes get there names because of their formation type, or they are named after the location where they are commonly found; and sometimes, it is a combination.

Colors, bands, translucency, UV fluorescence, and other variables, make every one of these incredible semi-precious stones unique. Even cuts and slabs from the same stone may apear completely different.

Here are just a few examples of agates: ?

So, what makes an agate an agate?

let’s see how they are formed.

Agates are primarily formed from chalcedony, which is silicon dioxide in the form of microscopic fibrous quartz crystals. They naturally develop when an empty pocket inside a host rock gets filled in by these tiny microcrystals that self organize to form incredibly beautiful bands, circles and other amazing patterns.

The different colors and designs created by these microcrystals differ because of the mineral content found where they grew. They also differ from changes in heat, moisture, and pressure that they were under, during the time that they were formed. Which is why, eventhough they can look similar, no two agates are ever identical . The hollow spaces where these magnificent stones form as secondary deposits, are called vesicles.

Agates can form in all types of host rock or matrix, (which is a rock that crystals or gemstones form in.) However, Most agates develope in ancient volcanic lava. Billions of years ago, when the continents were first forming, layers of lava pushed up from below the earths crust, through to the surface, by volcanoes, and other such events.

And inside that lava, there were pockets of trapped gases. When the gases escaped from the igneous rock cooling and hardening, it left hollow cavities. Other cracks and seams formed when some of the lava cooled faster than others, which caused cracks to form between them. These cracks and spaces are the “vesicles” that become home to the chalcedony and quartz hardening over time and creating the spectacular agates that thousands of us collect every day. So when you hold an agate in your hand, you are litterally holding something that is absolutely ancient.

whether you are tumbling them or cutting slabs for cabochons and jewelry these magnificent gemstones will amaze and intrigue anyone who sees the final results. They have been used for thousands of years as jewelry and are said to have metaphysical properties that have made them extreamly popular.

You can purchase any number and type of beautiful rocks from our Rock Shop. But agates are definitely the right choice to own something very special, they are each spectacular one-of-a-kind pieces.