Agate has a long history and is one of the earliest gem materials used by human beings. It mainly occurs in cracks and caves of volcanic rocks and also in sedimentary rocks. It is a colloidal condensate of silicon dioxide. Like crystal and jasper, it is also a timely mineral, and its chemical composition is silica. Mineralogically, it belongs to chalcedony, generally translucent to opaque, with hardness of 6.5 to 7 degrees, specific gravity of 2.55 to 2.9 1 and refractive index of 1.535 to 1.539. Agate can be formed in all strata of geological history, whether igneous or sedimentary. So there are many agates, and the color difference is also great.
The world-famous agate producing areas are India, Brazil, the United States, Egypt, Australia, Mexico and other countries. Mexico, the United States and Namibia also produce agate with lace stripes, which is called "lace agate". Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming and Montana in the United States also produce "landscape agate". Agate producing areas in China are also widely distributed, almost in all provinces. Famous producing areas are Yunnan, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Hebei, Xinjiang, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia.
Chemical formula: silica
[Edit this paragraph] Identification method of agate quality
People generally judge the quality and economic value of agate by naked eye identification. Although modern technology is developed and there are many jade identification instruments, it is very inconvenient to use these instruments in the transaction process. Secondly, it can't solve the problem. The reason is very simple, and it will be limited by the environment. If we judge the quality and economic value of agate, the instrument will be useless. It is impossible to carry out complex instrument operation at the trading site, so naked eye identification is always an extremely important method. There are many kinds of agates, known as "1000 kinds of agates and 10000 kinds of jade", so there are many identification methods. Usually, the grading standards are stripes, colors, transparency, cracks, impurities, sand cores and block weight. Except water bile agate, which is the most precious, it is generally best to match harmonious and pretty raw materials.
Generally speaking, agate quality appraisal and economic value evaluation are mainly divided into the following categories:
1, super: beautiful stripes; Pure and bright red, blue, purple and pink; Good transparency, that is, translucent; No cracks, sand cores and impurities; The weight of wood blocks is about 5 kg or more.
2, level 1: beautiful stripes; Pure and bright red, blue, purple and pink; Good transparency, that is, translucent; No cracks, sand cores and impurities; This block weighs about 2-5 kilograms.
Grade 3 and 2: beautiful stripes; Pure and bright red, blue, purple and pink; Good transparency, that is, translucent; No cracks, sand cores and impurities; The weight of the block is about 0.5-2 kg.
4, level 3: beautiful stripes; Pure and bright red, blue, purple and pink; Good transparency, that is, translucent; No cracks, sand cores and impurities; The weight of the block is about 0.5 kg or less.
[Edit this paragraph] The spiritual function of agate
1. Agate is one of the seven treasures of Buddhism. Since ancient times, it has been used as an exorcism and amulet, symbolizing friendly love and hope, and helping to eliminate negative energy such as stress, fatigue and polluted air.
2. Put a proper amount of agate under the pillow, which will help you sleep well and bring good dreams every night.
3. Agate can degauss and charge some crystal ornaments, such as rings, pendants, earrings and bracelets. But please wrap them in paper or cloth to avoid scratching.
In western magic, people are taught to write down their wishes on a piece of paper, fold them up and package them properly. After meditation, they are put into the agate cornucopia for at least one day and one night, so that energy can stir and strengthen them. After taking out, cremate and burn. With the help of fire, your wishes can be passed on to nature, and you can get what you want.
5. Children who study contact agate with water, which will infect the characteristics of water. They are smart, flexible, clever, have strong learning ability and adaptability.
6. Wearing agate with water can enhance affinity, be flexible and changeable, and contribute to career growth and financial resources.
7. The arrangement of agate water in the husband and wife's room is helpful to the harmony between husband and wife and enhance the joy of boudoir.
8. Agate can improve endocrine, strengthen blood circulation, make skin color better, eliminate sexual barriers and avoid impotence and infertility. Orange-red agate can be effectively used in rectum and gastrointestinal tract, activating internal organs, preventing constipation, helping to expel toxins, and relieving liver diseases, rheumatism, neuralgia and varicose veins. For women, wearing agate for a long time can make the skin smooth, cheerful and enhance blood circulation.
[Edit this paragraph] Identification method of agate
Agate is a kind of precious stone, which is often used for inlaying jewelry and carving handicrafts. The identification method of authenticity is as follows:
(1) color: the color of real agate is bright and bright, and the color of fake agate is poor, with obvious contrast. Natural red agate has distinct colors and obvious stripes. If you look closely, you can see tiny red dots densely arranged on the red belt. The fake agate hookah made of stone mostly has petal-shaped patterns at the bottom, forming a "chrysanthemum bottom"; The dyed blue agate is bright and even, giving people a false feeling.
(2) Texture: Most fake agates are stone imitations, which are softer than real agates. Jade can mark fake agate, but real agate can't. There are few defects on the surface of real agate, and there are more inferior ones.
(3) Process quality: The production process of high-quality agate is strict and advanced, so the surface brightness is good, the inlay is firm and geometric, and there are no scratches and cracks.
(4) Grade: water bile agate is the most precious variety of agate, which is characterized by closed inner cavity and containing water.
Red, blue, purple and pink are the best agates in all grades. They should be transparent, free from impurities, sand cores and cracks. Among them, the block weight above 4.5 kg is super grade, the block weight above 1.5 kg is first grade, and the block weight above 0.5- 1.5 kg is second grade.
Agate stone has natural color and is dyed after post-processing. Natural colors are mainly red, amber and white. Among them red is the best. The blue-purple agate jewelry sold in the market is not true, but dyed after processing, and will fade after several years of use. The dyed agate is mostly natural variegated, which is not easy to be directly processed into jewelry. How to identify true and false agate ornaments? It can be identified from three aspects.
(1) Transparency: The transparency of real agate is not as good as that of synthetic agate, which is a little messy, and some can see natural waterlines or "clouds", while synthetic agate is as transparent as glass balls.
⑵ Weight: Real agate jewelry is heavier than synthetic agate jewelry.
⑶ Temperature: Real agate is warm in winter and cool in summer, while artificial agate changes with the outside temperature, which becomes hot in hot days and cool in cold days. How to choose agate ornaments? First of all, choose according to your favorite color. Red agate jewelry is the most expensive. If you choose an agate necklace, you should pay attention to the consistency of each bead color, no noise, the bead size should be appropriate and the smoothness should be good. Then, lift the necklace to see if it is vertical and if each bead is hung on a line. If the necklace is bent, it means that some beads are biased and the processing technology is rough.
Similarities and differences between crystal and agate: The chemical composition of crystal and agate is silica, but there are still some differences between them. Crystal is a single crystal, crystal is usually a crystal, and agate is a polycrystalline aggregate. Under the electron microscope, agate is composed of countless tiny silicon dioxide crystals, so agate is usually translucent, while crystal is transparent. Many times, the two will be reborn to form crystals sold in crystal shops.