Among the various leisure activities that the state of Oregon boasts of, agate hunting is one of the most thrilling and most enjoyable. While low in monetary value (aside from some exceptional pieces), agates can be used to create stunning jewelry, beads, vases, ornaments, and other artworks. This type of chalcedony is considered to be semiprecious gemstones.
Agate is a concentrically banded form of chalcedony. The term "Agate" is also used for non-banded chalcedony with various types of inclusions such as moss, plume, or flame agate. Unbanded translucent or semitransparent materials with no inclusions that look like agates are chalcedony.
Distinctive banding, color patterns, and "impurities" make the agate unique and desirable.
Composed of silicon dioxide SiO2, agate is a translucent or semitransparent fine-grained microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline quartz. The tough and attractive mineral has excellent working properties, a high hardness of 7 (the Mohs Scale), acid resistance, and an excellent polished surface quality.