Richardson agate. Unique yellow agate from Oregon on rosewood base. (3-5 kilos)

Agate is a transparent, but sometimes also opaque, variety of quartz and a subvariety of chalcedony. The chemical structure of agate is identical to that of jasper, flint and chert, and it is often found together with opal. The colourful striped specimens are used as semi-precious stones. The name agate comes from the Greek Ἀχάτης, Achatès, the name of the current river Dirillo in the south of Sicily, where agates and other chalcedony were found. People traditionally wore agate as a lucky stone or for healing purposes. Agate was also used to make consumer goods, such as buttons. Agate is attributed with a number of medicinal properties, such as protection during pregnancy and against headaches, skin conditions and balance disorders. According to various literary works, agate belongs to the zodiac signs Aquarius, Taurus, Scorpio, and Gemini. Agate compounds are formed from a solution of silicic acid that fills cavities in older rocks. You can artificially stain the stones to achieve more vibrant colour combinations than those in nature. The main sources of agate are Brazil, Uruguay and the United States (Oregon, Washington, and around Lake Superior). Closer to the Netherlands and Belgium, agate is also found in the Hunsrück in Germany.