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Agate

Achat
The gemstone agate belongs as a quartz variety to the mineral class of oxides and hydroxides. Agate is interesting for jewellery production because it has an optically very appealing striped grain in several colours and can combine almost all colour variations in its spectrum. Only cobalt blue, magenta, pink and purple are not represented in agate stones. The kind of the gloss is with the agate the glass gloss. The mineral gets its name from the Sicilian river agates, in which it was found earlier in large quantities. This river is today known as Drillo. Already more than thousand years ago agate was popular as gemstone for vessels, rings, seals or signs, also in amulets it was embedded as protection against thunderstorms. Agate was not only used as a gemstone, but was also incorporated in practical objects, such as knife handles and mortars. In addition agate is used in technical areas, because it has a high resistance against chemicals. Nevertheless, the main use is in the jewellery industry, where agate stones are used as ring trimming or in pendants.