All natural nugget Botswana Agate is offered with your choice of the elongated nugget or oval nugget necklace. The gemstones have been polished and feel cool to the touch. No 2 gemstones are alike.
Precious metal: No Metal
Number of Gemstones: 1
Shape: Oval or Elongated
Total Carat Weight: Oval - 380cts
Elongated - 670cts
Birthstone Month:
Agate is associated with the birthstone month of May.
History & Lore:
Agate is a variety of Chalcedony, which is a member of the Quartz family. The name Agate is believed to derive from the
Greek word given to a stone that was found thousands of years ago in the
Achates River in Southwestern Sicily, now known as Dirillo River.
Some
of the earliest primitive tools that were created 2.5 million years ago were
made of various types of Quartz, including Agate. Agate has also been used as a
gemstone and for other ornamental objects dating back thousands of years. Early
Greeks used Agate in the form of amulets as protection from the dangerous
elements of the sea.
In
medieval times Agate was worn to bring God's favor and make one agreeable and
persuasive. It was also believed to bring protection from all dangers and to be
able to bring about victory and strength.
Agate
has commonly been used to cure insomnia and to bring about pleasant dreams. It
is also said to enhance the wearer's courage, improve perception and
concentration, and to provide protection from dangers. It is believed to
enhance trust and honesty, and to assist with acceptance to circumstances and
emotions. It is also believed to be able to improve memory.
Agate was originally mined in the Nahe River
Valley in Germany in 1497. These findings gave rise to the cutting center of
Idar-Oberstein, Germany. When the deposits of Agate began to dry up in the Nahe
River Valley in the nineteenth century, deposits were found in Brazil which
sparked the discovery of the country's wide and varied gemstone deposits.