Healing Properties of Agate

Agates are earth stones. Overall, agates are gentle, nourishing, and strengthening, with a lower intensity than many other gemstones. Individual types of agate have their own personal healing properties.

Agate as a Gemstone

About the Stone

Agate is an umbrella name for a number of varieties of banded chalcedony. Agate occurs in many colors that range from translucent to opaque. Agates are found all over the world. Some agates are geodes, which means they are hollow in the middle, often with crystals inside.

Agates grow in many different types of rock, and through many different processes. As such, their hardness can vary greatly, but is generally somewhere between a six and an eight on the Mohs scale. Agate is a member of the quartzfamily of stones, and often you will find agates with bands of quartz andchalcedony layered through it. Agates are found all over the world. Africa, Asia, Brazil, Egypt, Germany, England, India, Italy, Mexico, Nepal, Canada, and the United States all have varieties of Agates that are found there. Agates are most often found round instead of any other shape.

Agates have been used by humans dating back to the Neolithic period, and were used by early Egyptians and in ancient India.

Agate in Jewelry

Agates are for the most part quite durable stones. They can be dyed different colors, sliced exceptionally thin, and aside from doing a real number on your blades because they’re so hard, are quite nice to work with in jewelry. Agates provide unlimited options to work with because of the sheer number of types of agates there are in the world. Pricewise, some agates (like the Fire Agate for example) can end up being quite pricey for a good quality piece; but for the most part agates are very affordable stones, and great for beginners.