the legend of agate: when aphrodite, goddess of beauty and love, was sleeping under the tree, her son eros, god of love, cut off her shiny nail unheeded and joyfully soared to the sky, when the nail happened to drop to the ground and turned into stone; this was the origins of agate. therefore it is believed that agate strengthens love and smoothes up relationships. in japanese legend, kushiakarutama no mikoto, known as the ancestor of jade, offered amaterasu omikami a moon-shaped green agate, which is one of the three sacred objects injapan. according to anthology of tales from records of the taiping era, “agate is transformed from the blood of ghosts”, adding a trace of mystery to the precious stone. a symbol of beauty, happiness, auspiciousness and prosperity, agate is recognized as the crown of jade with its glamour, hardness and rareness. with rich agate resources accounting for over 50% of the country’s total reserves and high quality, fuxin in western liaoning province is the major production and processing area as well as distribution hub of agate inchina. fuxin is famous for its abundant agate resources featuring rich hues and colors, beautiful textures and patterns as well as stunning variety; besides, it is the hometown of the precious enhydritic agate. red agate in zghenjiawo bu village, laohetu town, fuxin county and green agate in qianshan, meili ban village are especially renowned for their value and rarity. fuxin has a highly developed agate processing industry, with some works winning tiangong award, top honor for gem and precious stone inchina, for a succession of years. works by chinese arts & crafts master cao zhitao are typical representatives of fuxin agate carving. agate is a mineral with irregular shape, and colors most commonly seen include red, black, green, blue, purple and gray, with layers and ring-shaped round belts in various colors that resemble annual rings of trees. blue, purple and green agates are rare hence more precious, known as “jade essence”. agate is the bed-base of crystal as crystal usually grows on agate minerals. like crystal, agate is of silica nature with sio2 as the chemical composition. due to its hardness and the immature technology and production process in the past, agate products could be very expensive and were far from being affordable agate has a long history since approximately 100 million years ago when underground magma spurted out in large quantities due to crust movement. when lava was cooling down, steam and other gases formed bubbles which were enveloped in the solidifying rocks and formed porous structure. many years later, the pores were permeated by solution containing sio2 and condensed into silica gel, which is permeated by fusible components of the ferrous rocks, and sio2 finally crystallized into agate. with silicon dioxide as the principal component, agate is usually structured with multiple layers as sio2 appears alternately with hydrated silicon dioxide (silicic acid). the color varies from very pale to dark due to the metallic oxides. agate can be artificially produced by natural permeation of salts such as iron, cobalt and nickel into silicic acid gel, and it is highly likely that natural agate has come into being under similar conditions and mainly contains sio2. agate is usually translucent to opaque, with a hardness of 6.5-7, density of 2.55-2.91 and refractive index of 1.535-1.539. one of the seven treasures of buddhism, agate has been considered as possessing the power of exorcizing evil spirits and eliminating negative energy such as pressure, fatigue and uncleanness, hence kept as a talisman by people since ancient times representing kindness, love and hope. putting agate under the pillow helps people to sleep well. agate can demagnetize crystal accessories such as ring, pendant, earrings and bracelet. remember to wrap the agate in a piece of paper to avoid scratching. in western magic, wish is written on a piece of paper, which is folded, enveloped and placed in an agate basin for at least a day and a night after meditation to strengthen the energy. the piece of paper is then taken out and burnt, channeling your wish into the nature to make it true. schoolchildren who are constantly in contact with water agate will absorb its nature of intelligence, flexibility, good behaviors, strong learning capabilities and fast adaptability to the environment. wearing water agate enhances amicability and flexibility, hence contributing to career development and fortune. wearing agate in summertime is not only fashionable but also helps to cool down and avoid heatstroke. water agate decoration in couple’s bedroom has the mystic power to improve the relationship and add to the fun and excitement. agate improves endocrine, facilitates blood circulation, improves inner energy and prevents sexual impotence or infertility. orange-red agate enhances rectal and gastrointestinal health, by activating internal organs, preventing constipation and facilitating detoxication, and helps to relieve liver diseases, rheumatics, nervous pains and varicosity. ladies wearing agate will have smooth skin, healthy mind and enhanced blood circulation as well as rosy lips and bright eyes. agate is considered a gem or material for arts and crafts for its rich colors and charm as well as a quality material for industrial goods such as bearings of precise instruments, mortars and pestles. how to examine agate and its quality currently fake agate is oftentimes spotted on the market, mostly including compound agate with glass, plastics and stones, which possess little economic value despite their similarity with natural agate in texture and hues. while illegal dealers attempted to cheat consumers, experts can clearly tell the difference. and collectors are advised to be scrutinizing of agate accessories in the following ways: pattern and color authentic agate presents a bright and shiny hue while the color and brightness of fake agate is obviously inferior. natural agate shows distinctive colors with clear belt-shaped patterns; while fake agate is unnaturally colorful yet homogeneous, giving an impression of artificiality. texture made of stone materials, most fake agate is softer than real agate in texture and is indented when struck with jade, while authentic agate remains intact. the surface of authentic agate is almost impeccable, yet undesirable spots and cracks are commonly seen on the surface of fake agate. transparency authentic agate is less transparent than artificial agate. the former may show traces of fuzziness and natural water line or “cloud” in some cases; while the latter is highly transparent like glass marbles. weight jewelries made of authentic agate are heavier than those made of artificial agate. temperature authentic agate feels warm in winter and cool in summer; while the temperature of artificial agate changes with the ambient temperature, getting warmer in hot weather and cooler in cold weather. highlights in agate collection color and hue normally, high-quality natural agate has the glow of glass and oil, with bright colors, natural purity, fine surface and smooth texture. more importantly, such agate shows gradually changing hues and color belts that are distinctively layered; while agate of mediocre quality is less impressive in color and gloss. the color of agate usually determines its potential for value appreciation. for all grades of agate, red, blue, purple and pink colors are considered the best; besides, translucence without foreign body, sandy heart or cracks is also valued. manufacturing techniques natural agate is solid, smooth and dense in texture, hence its carving is more energy-consuming than jade carving. agate meticulously carved by skillful craftsmen is usually of high collection value, and the thinner the agate, the more sophisticated the technique. ancient agate with extraordinarily exquisite carving from the ming and qing dynasties shall be treated with a discerning mind, as based on the carving techniques at the time, the thread hole in the middle would usually be shapeless and twisted like a silo rather than smooth. an agate with s smooth and straight thread hole is most likely to be imitation or fake. shape generally speaking, agate objects with distinctive appearance are of higher collection value. as agate is very hard, dozens of technical processes have to be completed in manufacturing agate decorations or accessories. therefore, the more complicated and sophisticate the appearance is, the higher the cost and correspondingly the value. |