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Agate: Stripe
up the Bands
No gemstone is more creatively striped by nature than agate,
chalecedony quartz that forms in concentric layers in a wide variety
of colors and textures. Each individual agate forms by filling a
cavity in host rock. As a result, agate often is found as a round
nodule, with concentric bands like the rings of a tree trunk. The
bands sometimes look like eyes, sometimes fanciful scallops, or even
a landscape with dendrite trees.
Agate was highly valued as a talisman or amulet in ancient times. It
was said to quench thirst and protect from fevers. Persian magicians
used agate to divert storms. A famous collection of two to four
thousand agate bowls which was accumulated by Mithradates, king of
Pontus, shows the enthusiasm with which agate was regarded. Agate
bowls were also popular in the Byzantine Empire. Collecting agate
bowls became common among European royalty during the Renaissance
and many museums in Europe, including the Louvre, have spectacular
examples.
The mining of agate in the Nahe River valley in Germany which was
already documented in 1497 gave rise to the cutting center of
Idar-Oberstein, Germany. Originally, the river was used to power the
grinding wheels. When the Nahe agate deposit was exhausted in the
nineteenth century, Idar cutters started to develop the agate
deposits of Brazil, which also sparked exploration and discovery of
Brazil's rich deposits of amethyst, citrine, tourmaline, topaz, and
other gemstones.
Although the small town of Idar-Oberstein is still known for the
finest agate carving in the world, today Idar imports a huge range
of other gem materials from around the world for cutting and carving
in Germany and Asia. Cameo master carvers and modern lapidary
artists flourish along with rough dealers who scour the world for
the latest gem discoveries for export. And the entire industry
sprung from the taste for agate bowls and ornaments during the
Renaissance! Maybe agate is also a powerful talisman for success in
international trade!
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