Agate
**Agate Owl Box**
Agate belongs to the quartz family, and more specifically, to that of microcrystalline quartz whose crystals are not visible to the naked eye. This variety includes various gems generally grouped under the name "chalcedonies".
**Where does the name "Agate" come from?**
It is said to come from the Latin "Achates", a river in Sicily now named Dirillo, where this stone was mined in antiquity.
What are the colors of Agate?
Natural agate is, in the vast majority of cases, grey and devoid of any visible texture. It is only by resorting to dyeing that the stones acquire a vibrancy of tone and reveal their texture.
The dyes used are generally inorganic, meaning they have no animal or plant origin, because organic dyes fade in light and the resulting shade is less vibrant.
Depending on the substance used, the agate will have a different colour: Red dye is obtained using iron oxide, yellow dye using iron chloride, brown using either a sugar solution and heating or cobalt nitrate, black dye results from carbon, green from chromium, and blue from iron.
As dyeing modifies the gem, coloured agates must be sold as such commercially according to the 2007 rules of CIBJO (International Confederation of Jewellery, Pearl and Gemstone Diamonds).
What is the symbolism of Agate?
Today, agate symbolizes hardness, luck, and attachment.
Where does it come from?
Until the early 19th century, the most important agate deposits were located in Idar-Oberstein, in the Rhenish Palatinate (Germany). This site, now closed, produced medium-sized stones with a remarkable color: the agates did not need to be dyed afterwards.
Today, the main deposits are found in Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul) and northern Uruguay. The color of the extracted stones is mainly gray and requires dyeing.
How do I care for my Agate jewelry?
As agate is sensitive to high heat and prone to dehydration, it is not recommended to clean your stone with steam or ultrasonic cleaning.
However, when mounted in jewelry, it is not a fragile stone. Water and dish soap are enough to gently clean your jewelry.