Agate Crystal Guide: meaning, origin & properties
Learn what Agate is, where ours comes from, traditional associations across cultures, and how to identify a real specimen, in our complete Agate Crystal Guide.
Only 1 left in stock
This is an A-grade Agate crystal mushroom, hand-carved in Zimbabwe from Matabeleland South agate. Agate is banded chalcedony that fills rock cavities layer by layer, so carving turns those layers into stripes. It stands 4.48 inches tall, 2.34 across, 0.76 pounds, Mohs 6.5 to 7, natural and untreated. The smallest of this group, from an existing collection rather than new extraction.
Agate is banded chalcedony, a microcrystalline quartz that fills cavities in volcanic and sedimentary rock. Silica-rich fluid enters the void and deposits in successive layers, which is why agate reads as stripes rather than as a single mass of color.
This piece comes from Matabeleland South Province in southern Zimbabwe. A carved form like this mushroom cuts across the original banding, so the pattern you see is a section through the stone's growth history rather than its outer surface.
This mushroom reached us through an existing collection rather than new extraction.
Agate is worked with for steadiness and balance, the unglamorous kind that holds a routine together. It is traditionally linked to the root chakra.
If that resonates, a small piece like this suits a desk or a bedside table where it stays within reach.
These are traditional associations drawn from historical practice. This stone is not a substitute for medical or mental health care.
Offered as a starting point for your own practice.
Agate sits at 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, about as hard as glass, so it handles daily use but will scratch against harder stones. Keep chemical cleaners away from it; they can etch the surface.
Natural agate from Matabeleland South Province, Zimbabwe. No. A great deal of agate on the market is dyed in bright blues, pinks and greens. This piece is undyed, which is why the banding reads in crisp grays, creams and near-black.
Yes. This listing is one piece, photographed individually. When it sells, it is gone.
It measures 4.48" H x 2.34" Dia and weighs 0.76 pounds.
Grades reflect visual quality within a batch. A is standard, with typical inclusions. AA shows stronger color, cleaner surfaces and tighter sizing. AAA is the top 10 to 15 percent of a batch. Every lot is inspected and graded by our team in Rockville, Maryland, not taken on the supplier’s word.
Agate from Matabeleland South Province, Zimbabwe, hand-carved in Zimbabwe through an artisan network. It reached us through an existing collection rather than new extraction. It came to us through an artisan network, one of the sourcing models we publish and stand behind.
Every lot is inspected and graded by our expert team before it is listed, not taken on the supplier's word. A on this listing means stronger color, cleaner surfaces and tighter sizing than the batch average. Pieces that miss the mark never reach the shop.
How We GradePurchased through a known network of individual artisans or family mining teams. Each piece traces back to a named producer or workshop. We say what we know and where our tracing stops.
Our Sourcing StandardsEverything we sell is natural in origin: never synthetic, never dyed, never coated. Where a stone has been heated, irradiated or stabilized, which is common in the trade for some species, we say so on the listing. If a piece is not as described, return it within 90 days of delivery.
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