Beautiful Banded Agate Beads — American Beads Corporation

1. Beautiful Banded Agate Beads Banded agates are mesmerizing gemstones, their swirling and layered colors are simply stunning, especially when shaped and polished. Agates are a type of quartz and a member of the chalcedony family. The stones often occur in volcanic rock and come in a wide variety of colors and layered patterns that are quite pleasing to the eye. Agates form within pockets that are created by gasses trapped within volcanic lava. Over time the voids begin to fill with silica-rich volcanic material. The seeping silica made of quartz and chalcedony slowly begins to layer within the nodule, resulting in an agate. Most agates are banded agates; however, there are few exceptions. Some agates, like the moss agate, have no banding but rather a pattern. There are many beautiful examples of banded agates that have been shaped and polished into beads, pendants, and cabochons. Let’s explore a few examples of banded agate gemstones: Fire Agates- fire agates exhibit a unique opalescent quality that glows in an iridescent rainbow of colors. These agates have only been found in northern and central Mexico and the southwestern states of New Mexico, Arizona, and California. The stones feature bands, swirls, and bubbles that shimmer and shine. Lace Agates- these agates often have patterns that look like intricate hand-knit decorative lace pieces. There are endless variations of lace agates and specific kinds named for color; Crazy Lace or Mexican agates are only found in northern Mexico and have iron and aluminum mixed in, resulting in vivid colors and complex patterns. Blue Lace agates were initially discovered in Namibia, on the southwest coast of Africa, and other deposits have been found around the world. These agates are blue because of Rayleigh scattering—the same reason the sky appears blue. When light hits the agate, tiny silica spheres inside the agate transmit out the color blue. Dendritic Agate- the word Greek word dendron means tree, and dendritic means having a pattern branched like a plant or a tree. Dendritic agates are often translucent or a light milky color with dark or black plant-like inclusions in their matrix. These inclusions are not fossils but rather inorganic traces of iron or manganese. The most popular dendritic agate is moss agate, there are many other examples that look like trees or beautiful pieces of drifting seaweed. American Bead Corporation has many lovely examples of banded agate beads, crazy lace agates being one of them. We invite you to take a look at our extensive selection of gemstone beads to see if there is a banded agate perfect for your designs.