Agate - Dyed - a photo on Flickriver

Agate - Dyed

A Smile Masks Pain

Description: Before the dye, these stones were white-colored or milky-grey. The dye is purely aesthetic to make them easier to sell or for decoration. The Agates are the most dyed stones. Dying is done once the stone is tumbled; they are not dyed through rough materials. This measure effectively enables the dye to go deep into the stones. Once tumbled, the mineral is placed into vats of dye and are allowed to soak for up to several weeks, allowing the stone to acquire a uniform surface coloring.

Some dyes are of bad reputation and often surprise the buyers after washing as the color wears off and transfers onto clothing, fish tanks, potted plants and stains the soil. Some will even fade when under direct sunlight.

The Agate is a cryptocrystalline variety of Quartz with a density of 2.6, no cleavage, conchoidal fracture (very sharp edges), waxy luster, white streak, translucent diaphaneity, absence of pleochroism, specific gravity of 2.58-2.64, with a refractive index of 1.530-1.540 and a chemical formula of silica (SiO² - silicon dioxide). Its hardness on the Mohs scale is of 6.5-7. The crystal system is hexagonal and the category is of the chalcedony variety.

Under popular beliefs, they protect people from misfortunes and awards longevity. Some believe they tranquilize the mind, prevents disease and contagions, promoves eloquence, ensures the favors of the powerful and brings victory over foes. A few other beliefs are also found throughout. Agates are among the oldest presumably healing stones on our planet and, as previously mentioned, act as a protective stone. The meaning differs between cultures. The healing properties are believed to come from a lower, more gentle frequency caused by vibration. Their healing properties are believed, in general, to be slow and steady, being less intense than Clear Quartz or Selenite (colorless variety of Gypsum, which occurs in monocyclical transparent crystals), but radiates a soft strength to provide the spirit with a sense of stability. These healing properties connect with the energy of the planet. Harmony, equilibrium to a tempered soul when the Yin and Yang are unbalanced, easing of throat tension, good fluidity between mind and mouth, fortitude for long lasting endurance, helping against addiction and/or carrying on with the implementation of healthy habits, good physical, spiritual and emotional improvements are some of the healing properties some civilizations believe in. Its name comes from the ancient Sicily. The ancient Egyptians believed the Agate's meaning as a reference for protection against natural conditions such as lighting, thirst and the ability to deliver powers of speech. Persians believed that the Agate would bring spiritual protection and could stimulate one's life force by cleansing their mind. To the ancient Chinese, the Agate's meaning is one of spiritual protection that could stimulate the life force of a person by cleansing their mind to make space for good luck and fortune. In the Medieval times, the stone was believed to bring on plentiful harvest if tied to the horns of an oxen.

Agates are mostly formed as nodules in volcanic rocks or ancient lavas as well as volatiles in the original molten mass filled by siliceous matter deposited in regular layers upon walls. Many of the Agates are hollow due to the lack of deposition inside the cavity, turning out in the last deposit as Drusy Quartz most of the time.

Decomposition of silicates in water in the lava might be deposited in a siliceous gel in the interior of the vesicles. The first deposit on the wall is rich in iron with, generally, a dark greenish mineral substance. The iron is probably derived from the decomposition of the Augite in the eclosing volcanic rock. After the lava is undergoing the cooling process, the steam and gases will form bubbles that are solidified and frozen, forming cavities. After a long time solidified, the water that carries silica in solution, probably as alkali silicate, enters the bubble and transform into silica gel. The components of the iron in the rock diffuse into the silica gel and produce the regular layers of iron hydroxide. In the end of the process, the whole mass hardens due to the loss of water and crystallization of much of the silica as Quartz. The colored bands are not disturbed during crystallization. In sum, Agate forms as a result of igneous rock marrying with the silica deposits in groundwater.

The Agate itself is a variegated chalcedony that displays curved and colored bands as well as many other markings. Agate is essentially a Quartz, and its physical properties are in general with those of that mineral. The stone in the picture measured approximately 0.5mm.

Sources:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agate
www.energymuse.com/agate-meaning
pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%81gata
www.britannica.com/science/agate

Taken in: Brasil / Ceará / Fortaleza / Estância (show map)

Taken on: April 7, 2018

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