Montana Agate-An American Gemstone Treasure
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Send to a friend by YMAuthor: Lynn Baldwin
So you're looking for a gemstone that is durable, unique, inexpensive, American and one that not everyone knows about! This American gemstone from Montana fills the bill.
Since the time Man descended from the trees, personal adornment in the form of jewelry has been part of every culture. Each person wishes to express herself or himself in an individual manner, and jewelry allows us one means to accomplish that goal.
Usually, when someone thinks about gemstones, the big four come to mind. These are diamond, emerald, ruby and sapphire. One might also consider opal, garnet, and a few others, but typically it would end there. Of the gemstones just mentioned, all but the opal would be cut as faceted stones, and allow little in the way of individuality. The opal would be the only gemstone in the list to be cut cabochon. As defined by the American Heritage Dictionary, this means a highly polished, domed, unfaceted gem.
The opal is the only stone of the previously mentioned gemstones to offer much in the way of exclusivity, as no two opals are ever the same. This property alone allows an opal to be chosen to reflect its owner, and to assure a one of a kind piece of jewelry. Unfortunately opal has a big drawback. It is a fairly soft and brittle gemstone, and must be worn carefully or you risk breaking it.
So far, virtually everyone is aware of the previously mentioned gemstones. Something to consider though is that this barely scratches the surface of the potential gemstones available to be used in various ways as personal adornment.
For instance, there are a great number of agates and jaspers (topics for another day) that are cut for use in jewelry about which almost no one knows. One of these that I would like to discuss is Montana agate.
Found only in America along the Yellowstone River and its tributaries in Montana and Wyoming, Montana agate is truly an American treasure. It was formed millions of years ago in holes left in lava flows. The lava has since weathered away and the agates are found in the gravel beds along the river.
With more variety in its colors, types, and figures than agate from any other known deposit in the world, Montana agate is especially wonderful for jewelry use. Historically it has typically been cut in standard sizes and shapes as cabochons and set as pendants, pins, rings, or bracelets.
There are however many modern lapidaries (a person who cuts, polishes, or engraves gems) who choose to cut these gemstones as free forms, as carvings, or even to facet them, which maximizes the potential and beauty of each stone. Just as in the opal, no two pieces of Montana agate are alike and this guarantees a totally exclusive and personal piece of jewelry from each one.
Long a favorite of hobbyist and professional cutters alike because of the beautiful and highly variable patterns and durability, Montana agate is a very hard and tough stone that wears well in jewelry. A classic scenic agate, it produces luminous and lustrous gemstones with evocative scenes of lakeshores or mountains as well as figural gems. With many of these agates, in order to appreciate their subtlety, you will have to view them against the light. No two are ever exactly alike, not even matched pairs.
Agate, the Mystical birthstone for the month of September and the birthstone for the Zodiac sign of Gemini, is believed by many to posses unique properties that protect its wearer from dangers and promotes strength and healing.
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