Agate Mineral Group: SILICATES
RocksForKids.com
| Agate is a form of
chalcedony which is a variety of
quartz.
The most common use for agate is as an ornamental stone. It is used for jewellery, vases, book ends, sculptures, table tops, and tiles. It is also collected by rockhounds because of its natural beauty. |
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 SPECIMEN ORIGIN: BRAZIL |
This slice of white, gray & brown banded agate has been cut with a diamond blade and polished to a shiny, glassy finish. If tapped, it sounds like glass. It is translucent. The bands are concentric, taking the shape of the agate nodule or geode it filled in.
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 SPECIMEN ORIGIN: BRAZIL |
Agate is
formed in layers and usually follows the shape of the cavity.
Agate is composed primarily of microscopically crystallized silica (SiO2) and often occurs as a cavity filling in lavas. SPECIMEN ORIGIN: BRAZIL |
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 SPECIMEN ORIGIN: BRAZIL |
This
agate nodule has been cut in half and polished. Notice how the inside is
solid but looks translucent and milky.
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 SPECIMEN ORIGIN: BRAZIL |
Natural
colors are brown, black, tan and white. Since agate slices come from geodes and
nodules, the shape of
the slice reflects the most common geode shapes. The most common shapes are
round and oval.
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 SPECIMEN LOCATION: Royal Ontario Museum, Ontario, CANADA |
This
slice of agate has been dyed to show how a natural stone can have its
color changed.
Many agate slices are available in gift shops with bright pink, purple & green colors. They have all been dyed because people like the colors. The colors are not natural. They are artificial. The agate slices are soaked in "mineral baths" and heated to give them the brilliant artificial colors.
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Below are some decorations that have been made from agate. |
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Agate Art uses agate slices and traditional stained glass techniques to create works of art that are unique because no agate slice is alike. |
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