Home / Jewelry Making Articles / Gem Profile- Banded Agate and Brecciated Agate

Gem Profile- Banded Agate and Brecciated Agate

by Judy Ellis
There are many forms of agate; this week is on riband agate, in which the layers of agate are parallel to each other.
About Agate

Agate rates 6.5-7 on Mohs scale with waxy luster.

Though glass-like in appearance, agate far exceeds glass's 5.5 hardness a simple scratch test distinguishes them.

Glass imitations appear in marbles and beads sold as agate.

Agate shows in gray, blue, yellow, brown, or red shades; green and blue prove rarest.

It dyes well neon brights like blue, purple, or pink signal treatment.

Idar-Oberstein, Germany, dominated agate cutting from 1497, processing South American imports with Nahe River power and cheap labor.

Prosperity faded as quarries dwindled; workers migrated to Brazil, sparking new economies. Post-WWII recovery faces Thailand and India competition.
Banded Agate

Many familiar agates, like Blue Lace and Botswana agate, feature distinctive banding.

Light lines run through dark pieces, sometimes reversed hues.

Tight banding creates a rainbow effect.

This neat visual rarely impacts value or price.

Botswana and Blue Lace agate cabochons suit wire jewelry perfectly.
Judy Ellis's Gem Profile- Banded Agate and Brecciated Agate - , General Education, , Blue Lace Agate
Banding in agate stays typically small and uniform in thickness end-to-end.

Some bands require a microscope to see.

Banded agate earns "fortification agate" name for angular circle shapes resembling fortress walls from above.

Other banded types include eye-agate, ruin-agate, star-agate, shell-agate, coral-agate, and cloud-agate with cloudy patches on transparent stone.
Currently Wirejewelry.com has some One-of-a-Kind Banded Agate Cabochons. Shop while they are still available.

Lake Superior Agate cabbed and wrapped in sterling silver wire by Marie Frazier
Judy Ellis's Gem Profile- Banded Agate and Brecciated Agate - , General Education, , Agate pendant
Brecciated Agate

Brecciated agate features chunks of rock instead of banding.

"Brecciated" means broken rock formed from agate pieces reassembled into new stone, like after an earthquake.

Quartz, such as amethyst, then forms around the pieces, embedding "chunks" in contrasting colors.

Sometimes called "ruin agate" for resembling building ruins.

Next article covers agates with "dots" like bloodstone, fish-egg, polka dot, and orbicular agate.
Resources

Wikipedia Agate
Wikipedia Oberstein

Materials

Druzy One of a Kind Cabochons
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Limited Edition - Highend Cabochons
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Designer One-of-a-Kind Cabochons
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Tools

WireJewelry - Ultimate Wire-Pliers Jewelry Pliers with Case, Set of 5
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  • Category: General Education
  • Technique(s): General Education

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