Cherry Blossom Agate

Agate with bands of beautiful colour is one of the most important gemstones of the early crafting world, with Brazilian “Rio Grande do Sol” agate being traded around the world after the discovery of commercially important deposits in the 19th century.

Famed for bands of beautiful colour agate is found in a wide variety of forms, ranging from blue eye agate with cool blue bandings to fire agate with incredible multi-colour iridescence and warm red tones.

Cherry blossom agate gemstone is one of the more recent discoveries in the agate family, with delicate patterning of chalcedony inclusions forming a natural display of flowers in bloom, and an oil painting like composition of detail that matches well to our artist’s love of painting and new colourful style.

Making of an Agate

Frequently found in volcanic geodes that have filled with this near opaque gemstone, agate is an aggregate micro crystal comprised of countless tiny crystals of chalcedony and quartz, sometimes found accompanied by quartz crystals such as amethyst and white quartz.

Though comprised of chalcedony, agate is not considered such unless it displays bands and layering where the chalcedony has been deposited in rhythmic crystallisation cycles.

Agate forms both from parent rock and upon earlier pre existing rock, where silica rich minerals have crystallized into natural hollows, crevices and even into fossilized shells.

Mostly found in volcanic rocks such as the finds at Brazillian “Rio Grande do Sol”, agate is believed to form where solutions rich in silica minerals penetrate into rocky nodules, within which high temperature volcanic gases have created spaces that allow the minerals to seep into.

Over the passage of time layers of silica crystallise into an aggregate of chalcedony and quartz, continuing in a cyclical process of deposition and crystallization that forms beautiful banding.

Owing to differences in the environment of the nodule as deposition occurs, silica rich mediums carry small changes between each cycle, over time these differences forming the distinct layered bands of colour.

Cherry Blossom Agate Gemstone Family

Cherry blossom agate gemstone is special in that it belongs to agates that do not display conventional horizontal banding, instead the “layer” of chalcedony forms volumetric impressions in a lighter layer of quartz with soft blossoms of chalcedony as if peach blossoms in spring bloom.

In similar vein the more well known “scenic agate” shows translucent quartz landscapes studded with delicate traces of trees and plants in all manner of forms, creating spectacular landscapes of detail similar to our own artist’s traditional free hand painting styles.

Not alone for company, both dendritic agate and moss agate show similar impressions of fern like leaves and small moss like grass patterns, giving the viewer a sight into a natural microcosm of picturesque scene.

Cultural History of Agate

First recorded between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, agate takes it’s name from the ancient Greek name for the river “Achates” in Sicily, where it was discovered by the Greek philosopher Theophrastus.

The ancient Greeks discovered this beautiful natural gemstone produced a hard fine surface for shaping, and was excellent for holding small detail in carvings that would resist erosion.

Fashioned into portraits, figurines and beautiful household adornments such as handles and plates, agate is still widely seen as a material for contempory fine artisan handwork.

Agate has a special connection to the “Idar-Oberstein” region of Germany where early commercial sources of agate were discovered in large nodules with bright primary colours which were turned into works of art.

Producing natural bright colours these local agate finds where exported widely as beads across the world, with local artisans fashioning colourful bead necklaces and bracelets up until the 19th century.

After local deposits were eventually worked out the same German emigrants discovered new sources in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul in the early 19th century.

Fashioning an early global marketplace of resource exchange, Brazilian agate was shipped back to Idar-Obstein, then machined into beads and other jewelry pieces that were sent on across the world.

You can read more about the culture history of agate along with other related agate gemstone family members in our featured gemstone blog agate article.

Cherry Blossom Agate – New Look

In new colourful fashion design, with floral gaiety and lightness of presence, of all the myriad agate family members, cherry blossom agate is one of if not the best suited to our designer’s love of flower and oil painting.

Better seen in larger pendant and cabochons, the natural patterning of cherry blossom agate gemstone is as it’s name suggests, a vista of blooming flower blossom painted within a lighter quartz layer set off against richer earth toned chalcedony.

Of first glance a mottled complexion of lighter white and peach pink lustered stone, upon closer inspection cherry blossom agate reveals further detail, with subtle colouring between layers of chalcedony, each small bauble of colour traced blossom like upon both pendant and bead.

Though cherry blossom agate tends towards opaque in larger carat sizes, smaller beads show transparency of light through layers of quartz, setting the white blossoms of opaque chalcedony into a peach pink sky of colour.

Cherry Blossom Agate Gemstone Fashion

Cherry blossom agate forms some of the key designs of our bead and pendant necklaces and bracelets, with it’s floral like visages of blooming flowers and soft detail of natural patterns well matched to our designer’s love of flower and oil painting.

Our ranges of cherry blossom agate jewelry take the natural colours and vibrancy of this beautiful gemstone as a fount of natural palette that lends natural levity and soft colour to a variety of design.

Verdant in feminine softness this gemstone is well matched to silver floral brocades and baubles, conveying light gaiety that soften apparel and are rich in a soft cultured elegance.

Matching to white moonstone, blue aquamarine, soft rosewood, light green prehnite and clear crystal quartzes, cherry blossom agate with it’s own natural range of soft contrasting tones is perfectly at home with diverse ranges of different gemstones balanced in smart designs.

Our designs including cherry blossom agate gemstone as both pendant and bead are many and varied, covering different styles that project ideas belonging to new modern fashion styling, you can see more of those necklaces and bracelets that include this beautiful semi-precious stone in our agate gemstone collection.

As a newcomer to a gemstone family that has been the staple crafting material for bead jewelry designers over the past several hundred years, cherry blossom agate brings a new look in a familiar way to the world of gemstone design.