Agate is the banded member of the chalcedony family, a fine-grained quartz. Many agate beads are dyed to deepen or change their color, so a bright pink or electric blue is almost always dye.
Quartz (chalcedony) · Chalcedony
Agate
Ágata
- Palette
- Multicolor
- Mined in
- Australia, Brazil, Czech Republic, India, Mexico, Morocco, United States, Botswana, Namibia, Argentina
- Hardness
- Mohs 6.5–7.0 ?
- See-through
- translucent
- Known since
- Prehistoric
- Named for
- the River Achates in Sicily, by ancient account; origin uncertain
- Also sold as
- banded agate, banded chalcedony
- Intention
- Calm Strength
- Looking for
- Calm Confidence and self-worth Focus and clarity Letting go
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- Most agate beads are dyed. Blue, green, black, and bright pink or purple agate are almost always dyed, and red and white are often heated or dyed to even out the color. Grey, brown, and earthy banded agate is the kind most often left natural.
Not in our pieces now
260 POUNDS
Brazilian agate nodules can reach about three feet across and weigh more than 260 pounds.
1827
Emigrants from Idar-Oberstein found the world's most important agate deposit in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and the first shipment reached Germany in 1834.
WORLD WAR II
Black agate beads from Queensland, Australia, were used in the turn and bank indicators of military aircraft during World War II.
What it is
Agate is chalcedony laid down in fine bands, often curved or concentric, so a bead shows stripes, rings or soft clouds. Natural colors are greys, browns, whites and creams; the vivid pinks, blues, purples and greens on many beads are usually dye.
What gives it its color
Iron gives most agate bands their color: red bands come from tiny hematite spheres and yellow ones from goethite. Many pale agates are dyed, and blue, green, black and bright pink or purple agate is almost always dyed.
Where it comes from
Most commercial agate comes from Brazil, mainly Rio Grande do Sul, and is usually dyed in Idar-Oberstein, Germany, the historic center of agate cutting. Other sources include Botswana, Lake Superior, Mexico, Malawi and Oregon.
In history
Natufian people in the Levant were chipping knives and arrowheads from moss agate around 10,000 BC, and agate beads and jewelry from Sumer date to about 2500 BC. Theophrastus gave the earliest known description of it around 350 BC, and the German town of Idar-Oberstein began working it on an industrial scale around 1375. A gold Roman signet ring with the portrait of Emperor Commodus, carved in banded niccolo agate, dates to AD 180 to 200.
What's said about it
In crystal lore, agate is the steadying stone. It's said to settle the mood, lend a little self-confidence and help people keep their focus.
Agate is among the oldest stones people have carved and worn. Ancient writers prized it, and a medieval bishop wrote that agate makes its wearer agreeable and persuasive.
People wear it as a bracelet, hold it in either hand, or carry it in a pocket.
How people wear or keep it: On the wrist, in either hand, in a pocket, or as a pendant or earrings.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, agate is paired with the root and heart chakras, so practitioners rest it there during meditation or lie down with it in place for a few quiet minutes. Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: on the wrist, in either hand, in a pocket. People reach for it when they want calm, confidence and self-worth, focus and clarity, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
The chakra and star sign this stone is usually matched with. These are popular traditions, not facts about the stone.
ChakraRoot, Heart
ZodiacGemini
BirthstoneMay, June
ElementEarth
Also calledbanded agate, banded chalcedony
Care
- Hard enough for daily wear, but brittle: avoid hard knocks, which can chip edges.
- Wipe with a soft cloth and mild soapy water; rinse and dry.
- Dyed agate can lose color with strong sunlight, solvents or long soaking, so keep it out of harsh cleaners.
- Store apart from harder gems such as sapphire or topaz so they do not scratch it.
How to tell what you have
- Agate is banded chalcedony, hardness about 7, so a steel point will not scratch it.
- If the color is a vivid blue, green, hot pink, or purple, assume dye unless the strand says natural.
- Look at the drill hole and any chip or crack: dye pools there and a scrape can show a paler color underneath. Dye from the early aniline kinds also fades in strong light.
What sets the price
Price follows the banding and pattern, how natural the color is, and bead size. Most brightly colored agate beads are dyed, so vivid blue, pink or purple is a sign of added color.
Rules and sourcing
Most agate beads are dyed, especially blue, green, black and bright pink or purple. Under the FTC jewelry guides a seller should say the color was added, and dye can fade in sun or run in solvents.
Questions people ask at our table
What is agate?
Agate is banded chalcedony, a very fine-grained form of quartz. The bands formed layer by layer as silica-rich water filled cavities in rock, mostly volcanic.
Is agate dyed?
Often. Plain greys and browns are usually natural, while bright pink, electric blue, purple and similar shades on beads are almost always dyed. Dye sits in the porous bands, so heavy soaking or strong sun can fade it.
How can I tell agate from glass?
Agate has visible banding or cloudiness that follows the shape of the bead, and it feels cool and slightly heavy. Glass tends to be uniform or has round bubbles.
Where does agate come from?
Brazil is the biggest source for beads, with Mexico, India, Botswana, Namibia, Morocco and the western United States also well known. Agate occurs on every continent.
Do you carry agate?
Not as a plain family stone, but we do carry several kinds, including moss agate, Indian agate, tree agate and yellow crazy lace agate.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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