They are characterized by presenting concentric bands or rings of different shades, alternating between opaque and translucent bands.
They exist in different colors, blue, violet, brown, pink, green, gray and black, but many times they are dyed artificially to highlight the color.
The name agate derives from the Latin word achates, which is a river in southern Italy, in Sicily, where they say the first agate stone was found. They were appreciated since ancient times and by different cultures, such as the Arab, Indian and Egyptian.
Agates have the property of absorbing and transforming negative energy, which is why they are used to harmonize environments and people. They can be placed in the house or carried in the form of jewelry or directly carry the stones in your pockets.
For those people who are interested in stones only for their beauty, a variety of handicrafts are made with them, such as jewelry, ornaments and mortars, since they have the characteristic of being resistant to blows and it is difficult for them to break. They have been mined in the north of Uruguay, in the department of Artigas, since 1860.
The mines are found in the basins of the Catalán Grande stream, Seco stream, Cuaró and Tres Cruces, as well as at the base of the Yacaré, Belén, Cururú, Catalán mountain ranges. There are mines in other parts of the world such as Madagascar, India, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and the United States.
In recent years, the export of this stone in Uruguay has grown. In 2013, 16% more was exported than in the previous year. A weight greater than 130 tons of agates was calculated.
