agate

Agate was named after the Achates River, now the Drillo, in Sicily where it was first found over 2000 year ago. Agate is the banded variety of chalcedony that forms primarily in volcanic pockets within the Earth’s crust. There are over a thousand varieties of agates, all with their own unique beauty, found all over the world.

There is a great variety of agates from all over the world with very distinct patterns and markings, but agate is most commonly associated with Idar-Oberstein, Germany. In the mid-1900’s agate was found and subsequently mined heavily in Idar-Oberstein, used for carving stone bowls and figurines.

Metaphysical Properties

Agates have the ability to cleanse and release physical tension from stress, which makes them great to hold at the end of a long workday. Each variation of Agate has additional healing benefits.