Blue Lace Agate
When looking for an cool blue stone to use in the KGLW Ice design, I found this beautiful Blue Lace agate.
Then I saw the price. I bought it anyway.
While blue agate is readily available, it turns out the Blue Lace agate is actually rare due to the markings. Banded agates are layered silica-rich solutions that solidify and ultimately fill cavities. Geological events heat the initial agate that results in the curving of the layered bands. This deposit where Blue Lace agate is found is believed to date back approximately 54 million years. The Blue Lace agate comes from one specific mine in Nambia: Ysterputs. The mine ceased operations in 2017 and later closed in the 2000’s.
The color of Blue Lace agate ranges from pale to intense sky blue. However this coloring is not due to pigment (as with lapis lazuli), rather it is due to tiny inclusions that result in a visual effect called Rayleigh Scattering. This is what makes the sky appear blue to our eyes.
What’s the difference between Jade and Jadeite?
The term 'jade' is actually a catch-all term that encompasses two separate minerals. Nephrite is more opaque and traditionally used for sculptural objects and ornaments. Then there is jadeite, which is more translucent with smooth, glassy finishes.
Both jadeite and nephrite are considered "good luck” stones.
Why are they both called jade?
Until the 1860’s, when gemologists were better equipped to determine that their composition differs and they are in fact two different minerals, they were considered to be the one and the same mineral. Jadeite came into popularity around that time and typically comes from Burma. The jade use for adornment and carvings over the past 7,000 years in China is actually Nephrite. However Jadeite did make it’s way to China - also in the late 18th century.
Carving more intricate designs became possible with the introduction of iron tools. Several designs are common and symbolic in Chinese culture. A round disk with a hole in it symbolized heaven; a butterfly represents long life; and a dragon symbolizes power and prosperity.
