Agate is also known as' Qiongyu 'in ancient times. Because of its colorful colors and ever-changing patterns, it is often used to make jewelry, carvings and other crafts, especially agate bracelets, which can be said to be one of the most common jewelry in Chinese life. But agate bracelets are very popular in the market. Today, let's talk about how to identify agate stones? Three simple steps.
Look at the banded structure
The first way to identify agate bracelets is to look at the banded structure, which is the biggest feature of natural agate and the most significant difference from fake agate. Generally speaking, natural agate will have concentric layered structure. Of course, there may not be any finished products after cutting. However, for agate bracelets, because there are many beads, it is impossible to have no stripe on each bead. If there is no stripe on each bead of the whole string of agate bracelets, it is likely to be fake agate made of plastic or glass.
Moreover, banded pattern is also the key factor to distinguish agate and chalcedony. Both agate and chalcedony are mineral aggregates dominated by cryptocrystalline quartz. Those with banded structure are called agate, while those without banded structure are chalcedony.
Look at the color:
For the identification method of agate bracelet, the second thing to see is the color. Because natural agates are lighter in color, artificial dyeing is also very common in the agate market, especially for red, blue and purple agates, almost 90% of which have been dyed. So if the agate bracelet you buy is very colorful and the color of each bead is very uniform, it is very likely that it has been dyed. Because the color of natural agate is lighter, and the color of each bead will be different.
See transparency and luster:
The third point of the identification method of agate bracelet is to see the transparency and luster. Natural agate is the product of underground magma eruption and cooling, so it has a strong sense of colloid. The surface seems to be coated with a layer of wax, with slightly chaotic luster and translucent to opaque. Many fake agates are made of stone, with dull luster and no lustrous feeling. Some glass products are of strong luster, and small bubbles can be observed with a magnifying glass.
The above is about the identification method of agate bracelet. If you want to know more about jewelry, you can pay attention to the famous jade sculptor Baijia, and communicate with our professional jewelry appraisers at any time!