Fine Minerals, Rocks, and Crystals for Sale

About Agate

Agate is a rock formation consisting primarily of quartz and chalcedony formed within volcanic and metamorphic rocks. It has been used ornamentally in jewelry and as seal stones as far back as ancient Greece. It was reputedly the greek naturalist and philosopher Theophrastus who between the 3rd and 4th centuries B.C. first discovered agate.

There are innumerable varieties of agate including. Lace agate, moss agate, Greek agate, Brazilian agate, Kentucky agate, Australian agate, dendritic agate, crazy lace agate, thunder agate, Utah yellow cat, and blue lace agate are just a few of the better known varieties.

Agate is prized for its hardness, resistence to chemical attack, retention of a polished surface and beauty. It has various industrial uses besides its use in jewelry and ornamental and decorative arts. Besides being beautiful, many believe that agate has various spiritual, healing and metaphysical properties.

About Quartz, Amethyst, Citrine

Quartz is a very popular mineral and gemstone and is a form of Silicon DiOxide (SiO2). There are many varieties of quartz used gemstones including amethyst, citrine, smoky quartz, and rose quartz. It is typically found in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Quartz is used to manufacture glass, ceramics, as a building stone (in sandstone), and other manufacturing processes. It is the second most abundant material in the Earth’s crust. It can have a natural vibration frequency, and this property is exploited to in watches, clocks, radios, television and various communications devices. It can also have piezoelectric property making it useful for certain types of electronic devices including phonographs.

Chemically it is a variety of quartz (SiO2) with color due to impurities in the crystal. It may appear from light pinkish-violet to deep purple in color. Quartz can be rutilated with inclusions of rutile (TiO2) whcih may appear as straws, or rods arranged randomly or in patterns inside the crystal. There are also innumerable forms of quartz with inclusion, child crystals, scepters, record keepers and inclusions of other minerals.

There are a number of possible origins of the word: Old German, Slavic, or Ancient Saxon. Water clear quartz was referred to by the ancient Greeks as krystallos from which we get the English word “crystal”. Pliny the Elder, a Roman naturalist, believed quartz was a form of ice water. The actual name derives from ancient Greek and refers to the belief that it protected its owner against drunkenness. The ancient Egpytians, Greeks and Romans used it for jewelry, and carved drinking vessals from it. It was often used in antiquity for intaglio engraved gemstones. It has been found in Anglo-Saxon graves in England. It is considered sacred to the Buddha in Tibet and used to make prayer beads. Until the 18th century it was considered among the most valuable gemstones.It is believed to have crystal healing and spiritual properties including: encouraging self control, helping meditation and sleep, calming harsh emotions, and helping stimulate the imagination, cleansing the energy, releasing blocked emotions, increasing clarity of thought, and bringing spiritual peace. It is often used as a therapy stone or reiki stone.

Amethyst is a popular purple variety of quartz and is a semi-precious gem used for jewelry. It is typically found in Africa and South America, including places such as Brazil and Uruguay. Amethyst is so closely tied to the color purple that it is often used interchangeably to refer to it. The color occurs due to the presence of iron impurities when the crystal formed. Citrine is another form of quartz with iron inclusions. The difference between Amethyst and Citrine is the temperature at which the mineral forms. Higher temperatures will yield citrine rather than amethyst.

About Jasper

About Crystal Healing, Reiki and Therapy Stones

Other Interesting Crystals

Examples of Our Work

Some Examples of Work that Inspires Us

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