What is agate？

Agate is a kind of chalcedony mineral, often mixed with opal and cryptocrystalline quartz banded block, hardness 7-7.5 degrees, specific gravity 2.65, color is quite hierarchical. Having translucency or opacity. Often used as decorations or toys. Usually red, black, yellow, green, blue, purple, gray and other colors, and generally will have a variety of different colors of layered and circular striped ring, similar to the tree rings. Blue, purple, green agate high-grade rare, also known as "chalcedony".
Agate has a long history. About 100 million years ago, underground magma erupted in large amounts due to changes in the earth's crust. As the lava cooled, steam and other gases formed bubbles. When the rock freezes, bubbles are sealed up and many holes are formed. Over time, silica gel is formed by soaking silica solution in the hole. The soluble components of the iron-bearing rock enter the silica, and eventually the silica crystallizes into agate.
What are the varieties of agate?
There is a saying, "Ten thousand kinds of agate ten thousand kinds of jade." It shows that there are many varieties of agate. Because contains pigment ion type of other impurities, so there will be red, white, gray, tea, blue, green, black and other colors. The main varieties are as follows.
1. Onyx: Specially thin striped bands, the most prized of which are "red onyx".
2, belt agate: belt structure, monochrome or multicolor and other varieties. Also known as monochrome, bicolor, multicolor, multicolor.
3. Moss agate: due to the infiltration of chlorite or manganese oxide (black) along the cracks, there are branches with bryophyt-like patterns. Commonly known as water grass agate.
4, fire agate: in the strip layer containing iron oxide plate mineral crystals agate, have a red luster.
5, water gallbladder agate: all natural agate, hollow water known as "water gallbladder agate". Bold more water is better, a material more bravery, a raw material according to the number of water bravery can be divided into "one bravery", "double bravery" and "more bravery". The colour and lustre of bravery has "white bravery", "gray bravery", "yellow bravery", "red bravery", "red bravery" is the rarest and precious.