AGATE CRAFT

Submitted to: Ranjeet Kumar & Prem Kumar Singh

Submitted By: Anjali Kumari

Pallavi Kujur
Moon Saxena
Naireta Paul
Roopal Modi
Shristi Shreya
Srijita Sarkar
 Content

● History
● Formation
● Evolution of Agate Craft
● Types of Agate
● Existing Design
● Existing Products
● Tools and Techniques
● Market Research
● Market Preference
● Market Sectors
● Bibliography
History
Agate is a common rock formation,
consisting of silica, chalcedony and
quartz as its primary components, the
formation consists of a wide variety of
colours and grain size. Agates are
primarily formed within volcanic rocks
and metamorphic rocks. These stone
have been seen to have dated back as
far as Ancient Greece, however with
their mediocre durability, their
everyday uses are most commonly as
decorations or jewelry.
Folk Myths in the area around Khambhat in Gujarat Province, India,
state that the ancient agate mining and cutting industries in that region
were started by Baba Ghor, a circa 1500 AD merchant from Ethiopia who
had led a large contingent of Muslims to settle in the area. Both agate
mining and agate cutting clearly predate Baba Ghor’s arrival in Gujarat.
Some scholars have suggested that the agate resources of the region were
known to Ptolemaic Rome. But little of the agate mines or Cambay
gemcutter's appear in European literature until circa 1500, strangely
coincident with the same period that Baba Ghor was introducing an
industry into the area. Italian explorer Ludovico di Varthema mentions
the “carnelian hills seventy miles from Cambay.” Portuguese trader
Duarte de Barbosa states relative to carnelian, “they extract it in large
pieces, and there are cunning craftsmen here who shape it, bore it, and
make it up in divers fashions, that is to say: long, eight sided, round, and
olive leaf shapes, also rings, knobs for hilts of short swords and daggers,
and other ways.
Formation
Agate occurs in nodular masses. They need a cavity to form,
so they are typically seen in limestone, dolomite, and shale
which may have shells, tree branches, or roots in them that
later decay away When split open, they reveal an amazing
variety of colors and patterns, and a distinctive banding
that distinguishes agate from other kinds of chalcedony(the
compact micro crystalline variety of quartz). Band colours
are determined by the differing impurities present,
although, being porous, Agate is often dyed or to enhance
the natural colour. Agate also occurs in several distinct
forms fortification Agate has angularly arranged bands
resembling an aerial view of fortress . Moss Agate (or
mocha stone) is translucent and colourless, white or grey,
with dark, Moss or tree like (dendritic) inclusion. It is
usually cut as thin slabs, or polished as ornaments,
brooches or pendants. Agatized wood is fossilized wood
that has had its organic matter replaced by agate.
EVOLUTION OF
AGATE CRAFT
Khambatt or Cambay produces jewellery
and decorative items using polished agate
stones

Agate, or Akik as it is called in Gujarat, is

ideal for arts and crafts because of
fineness of grain and brightness of colour.
Roman Emperor Nero is said to
have coveted Gujarat’s agate
cups and Pliny mentions agate
stones from the Gulf of
Khambatt in his writings.
The stone is said to have been used for crafts in Gujarat from 7000 BC and beautiful agate beads were
made during the Harappan period in Lothal.
The Siddis, a community of African origin, is said to have
come to Bharuch district with leader Baba Ghor because of
the agates found in this area. This stone is mined in the hills
and riverbeds by tribal groups like the Bhils, and after
sorting by colour and quality transported to Khambatt .
The village market can be a
good place to buy tribal crafts.
cut, after which they may be
re-heated with oxidizing iron or
other materials that give it the
reddish orange colour. After
chipping and flaking, the agate
bead goes for drilling and
polishing. Lamp shades and
lamp bases, decorative trees,
small ornate items and jewellery
are made using agate in
different colours.
The Persians had their own
beliefs about agate – they
were great for preventing
storms. They also helped
save the wearer from thirst,
so they were a protective
stone and therefore valued.
As well as for jewellery, agate
has also been popular to make
into bowls and these bowls were
very valuable. Midtirades, the
kind of Pontus, had three
thousand of them made. And
the royal families across Europe
often collected them with many
museums now having
impressive collections donated
from the families over time.
In Ancient Sumeria, agates were used for two main
purposes – to create beads to wear in jewellery and
to make seals. These were important for official
documents and each was unique to the person
holding it.
HEALTH IMPACT

Respiratory diseases such as silicosis and

higher incidence of tuberculosis among

workers involved in the agate industry

has been reported from India and China.

BELIEFS

Agate stops the burning desires for things

we do not need, and assists those juggling

commitments or multiple jobs.

It helps writers express ideas in

marketable form, and helps young

children learn to walk and not fall as they

get older. Agate also promotes marital

fidelity.
TYPES
OF
AGATE

Blue Lace Agate

Blue Lace Agate has a soft, soothing elegance; like sky-blue
waters released from winter's grasp. Its graceful, circular
design has a stimulating, positive effect on emotions and
attitude. It is not a stone of protection, but rather of
encouragement and support. Its circular flowing energy calms,
uplifts and elevates.
Dendritic Agate
Dendritic Agate is a translucent to opaque member of the agate
family characterized by inclusions of branch-like dendrites, which
are made up of manganese or iron oxide. Colors may be clear,
white or whitish-gray, with black or brown dendrites.Often called
the “Stone of Plenitude”, Dendritic Agate is associated with
abundance, prosperity and growth - not just monetary, but in every
aspect of one’s life.
Fire Agate
Fire Agate, known as the spiritual flame of absolute perfection, carries a great mystery locked inside its deep brown
crystal. Fire Agate is a variety of Chalcedony, a mineral of the Quartz family. It has a translucent deep reddish-brown
base, with flashes of orange, red, green and gold that appears as living flames within the gem. Its iridescent colors are
caused by light interference on thin layers of iron oxide or limonite crystals within the Chalcedony. Fire Agate provides
a steady, vibrant energy that stimulates a zest for living.
It consists of concentric circles, that are divided due
to contrasting colours mostly black and white, Agate
Eyes are most often found in Agate nodules, which
are usually created when silica precipitates in the rock
cavity. These cavities can be in the form of lava flows,
fractures in the rock layers, or fossils that have
dissolved over time. When the first silica layers have
been deposited in the cavity walls, round droplets of
silica gel begin forming in the walls.

Eye Agate
Botswana Agate

Botswana Agate is a comfort stone, beneficial in

overcoming depression, and strengthening
during a grieving process. It helps alleviate
obsessive thoughts and destructive mental
patterns, and assists in overcoming fears, such as
agoraphobia and panic attacks in crowded places.
Condor Agate
Condor agate was discovered and named by Luis
de los Santos in 1993. It is found in the
mountains near San Rafael, in Mendoza
Province, Argentina. This agate exhibits colorful
bands and patterns, and has become a popular
stone among collectors and jewelry designers.
Laguna Agate
Laguna Agate is the most highly praised banded agate in the
world. It is known for its extremely tight banding and vibrant
shades of red and scarlet.Laguna Agate is a variety of banded
Chalcedony, a mineral of the Quartz family. Though
predominantly scarlet, its layers may contain shades of deep
red, milky white, yellow, gold and brown. It also stimulates
the imagination and inspiration of writers and artists, and
has the power of weaving complex themes into a work of art.
Iris Agate
A variety of Agate. An iridescent variety of agate -
when sliced into a thin section it exhibits all the
colours of the spectrum when viewed in
transmitted light. "Iris Agate" is a name used for a
finely-banded agate that produces a spectacular
display of color when it is cut properly and
illuminated from a direction that sends light
through its very thin bands. The name "iris agate"
is used because one meaning of the word "iris" is
"a rainbow-like display of colors."
Crazy lace Agate
Crazy Lace Agate is called the Laughter Stone, or
"Happy Lace." It is associated with sunny Mexican
fiestas and dancing, and brings joy to those who
wear it.Crazy Lace Agate is a variety of banded
Chalcedony, a mineral of the Quartz family. It is
predominantly white, with layers of creamy
browns, blacks and grays. Some may include
layers of yellow ochre, gold, scarlet and red. Agate
is sometimes called the earth rainbow because, in
its various forms, the concentric bands in nature
form nearly every color the earth can produce,
including a colorless form.
Onyx Agate
Onyx primarily refers to the parallel banded
variety of the silicate mineral chalcedony.
Agate and onyx are both varieties of layered
chalcedony that differ only in the form of the
bands: agate has curved bands and onyx has
parallel bands. The colors of its bands range
from black to almost every color. Onyx is
formed of bands of chalcedony in alternating
colors. It is cryptocrystalline, consisting of
fine intergrowths of the silica minerals
quartz and morganite. Its bands are parallel
to one another, as opposed to the more
chaotic banding that often occurs in agates.
 Onyx Agate
Sagenite, or more accurately, sagenitic agate is any
agate having acicular or needle-like mineral growths.
These hair like filaments are often arranged in fans or
sunbursts. Sagenitic Agates are found all over the
world in most agate deposits. Although the occurrence
of sagenite inclusions in agate is usually limited. It
occurs in nodules or veins. The pseudomorphosis
inclusions get their form mainly from needle shaped
zeolites, aragonite, gypsum, goethite and antimonite.
Sometimes both sagenite and plume inclusions can
occur together. The word sagenite comes from the
Greek word that means "net".
Snakeskin Agate
Snakeskin Agate is a semi-translucent
kind of Agate that exhibits light, creamy
yellow or beige colors. It’s characterized
by surface crazed markings that look a lot
like a snake’s skin. Snakeskin Agate also
has bands of white, peach, and orange
which are also clear and translucent. It
will remind you of the joy of being alive,
especially when you start feeling
overwhelmed by the events in your life.
 Existing Designs
It has traditionally been used to make knife-edge bearings for
laboratory balances and precision pendulums, and sometimes
to make mortars and pestles to crush and mix chemicals. It has
also been used for centuries for leather burnishing tools

The decorative arts use it to make ornaments such as pins,

brooches or other types of jewellery, paper knives, inkstands,
marbles and seals. Agate is also still used today for decorative
displays, cabochons, beads, carvings and Intarsia art as well as
face-polished and tumble-polished specimens of varying size
and origin. Idar-Oberstein was one of the centers
which made use of agate on an industrial scale. Where in the
beginning locally found agates were used to make all types of
objects for the European market, this became a globalized
business around the turn of the 20th century. The sanctuary of a
Presbyterian church in Yachats, Oregon, has
six windows with panes made of agates collected from the local
beaches.
 EXISTING PRODUCTS
WIND CHIME CLOCK
KEY RING PENDANT
GLOBES TREE
PYRAMIDS SPHERES
LAMPS
ASHTRAY BOOK END
BUTTERFLY COASTER
 TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
THE PROCESS
BREAKING OF STONE- The large sized agate rocks are first broken into small pieces with the help of a hammer which is
made up of bullock horns. This is done so that the stone becomes brittle and latter it is easier to give the desire shape of the
stone. The raw stones are too hard to work with, to make them brittle they are subjected to heat treatment in two stage to
stop. Initially the stones are left under the sunlight to get rid of its moisture contain. This is followed by fire heating. The fire
heating of the stone is done in a square pit of about ½ feet in depth. The stones are placed in the earthen pots of about 12” in
diameter. The material burns at a relatively low temperature. After lighting the saw dusk, the furnace is covered by a thick
iron sheet to prevent the escape of a cracking stone. In a few hours the fuel burns out leaving a cover of hot ash over the
stones, the stones are left in ash to bake for about 24-48 hours.

After baking, the stones at about 350-450 degree celsius, color of the stone changes to permanent metal oxides color
because stone contains some metal also. For example - if it contains iron, after heating it is converted into red oxide and the
color of the stone changes to red. Yellow agate is converted to red carnelian on heat treatment.
Drilling:
Agate dyeing process:
When a gemcutter desires a hole
in or through a gemstone (e.g., a Agate dyeing is a very confidential
bead), a small rotating rod or process.Agates are dyed in different
tube with a diamond tip, or a colors keeping the stones in chemical for
slurry of silicon carbide and
coolant, is used to drill through a period of time.Dyed agates are generally
the stone Diamond tip, or a in pink,blue,green,etc colours.
slurry of silicon carbide and
coolant, is used to drill through
the stone.
Chipping (chiseling) of stone:
The objective of this process is to break and shape the stone
into smaller pieces of approximate size and shape of the al
product.Placing the stone on an iron rod which is about 20"
in an angle of about 60 degrees. The stones are placed over
the upper end of this iron rod which points away from the
worker. A hammer,which is made of a cane handle gently
hammers the stone and its barrel shaped head is made up of a
cow or buffalo horn. After initial breaking the stone chips are
dressed to round, triangular or rectangular pieces.
Faceting:

Manual faceting is done by the women as well as men in

khambhat.Stones are rubbed on the dish which comes from hina these
dish is attach to the wooden structure and this wooden structure is
attached with the motor.Fingers are usually damaged during this
process soo for safety purpose it should be bandaged before work and
face should also be covered while working as the powder produce while
rubbing the stone is injurious to health.
Oiling:

Generally coconut oil is used the stones are immersed in oil

drums for 24 hours. This process is done so that the oil
seeps into the cleavage of the stones and gives it a better
sheen and color. After 24 hours they are wiped with paddy
husk to remove the oil and than kept in sunlight
 TOOLS

HAMMERS WITH BUFFALO HORN

IRON ROD HEADS
HAMMERS HAVING WOODEN HEADS DIFFERENT SIZE OF WIRES FOR MAKING JEWELLERY
 STONES ARE
FACETED ON THIS
DISK

TOOLS USED FOR MAKING THE

FINAL PRODUCT

EMERY STONE TO
LEVEL THE DISK
 MARKET RESEARCH
Stone Age man was first known to possess this beautiful, precious stone more than 15,000 years ago.

Agate was popular and believed to have mysterious and even magical properties, but today, Agate is used for
either jewelry or ornamental decorations.

In the Islam religion, Agate is usually considered very precious.Other cultures also believe that Agate has
mystical benefits such as the ability to cure the wearer or others from the sting of a scorpion or snake bites.

In Europe, Agate was believed to prevent a person from being infected from a contagious virus or plague.

All in all, Agate has been praised by many cultures as being extremely precious against evil, sickness and
weakness.While Agate is still revered for its mystical qualities to this day

It is used in creating Florentine mosaics, as well as picture frames frames.

 Market Preferences

Khambhat exports to UK and USA

India market is jaipur
Germany exports it to Uruguay and
Brazil
Leading Producers In The Market

YANGHONG AGATE
AGATE CAMBAY
VAN DER BRUIN
URUGUAY STONES
BARTKY MINERALS
KINGDA CERAMIC
OLYMPUS MINERALS
STONE SPEECH
HL GEMAS
ANTOLINI
TAI YIEAH
MARKET SECTORS
LUXURY
KITCHENWARE AND DINNERWARE
JEWELRY AND HAIR ACCESSORY
REIKI HEALING
FUN FACT- BAKERY
 Bibliography
http://www.agatesnstones.com/tiger-eye.html
https://www.nicholaswells.com/?attachment_id=4107
https://www.naturalhealinggems.com/agate-types
https://www.amazon.com/Wholesale-Gemstone-Cabochon-Flatback-Accr
essory/dp/B0778246NM
https://www.gemstone7.com/235-eye-agate.html
https://meanings.crystalsandjewelry.com/agate-eyes/
https://www.mindat.org/min-7610.html
https://geology.com/stories/13/iris-agate/
https://www.oakrocks.net/sagenite-agate/

https://meanings.crystalsandjewelry.com/snakeskin-agate/

https://www.crystalvaults.com/crystal-encyclopedia/blue-lace-agate