Description

Light green jade sphere beads accent black agate disc beads. Five agate beads have been wired together with metal wire and linked together in a chain to make a very sturdy necklace. Sterling silver clasp.

Necklace length: 42cm
Agate discs: 8x4mm
Jade spheres: 10mm diameter

Formed within the cavities of volcanos, agate is a metamorphic conglomeration of chalcedony and
quartz. It is found all over the world in an incredible variety of colors. Used in jewelry in the Indus Valley as early a 3000 BC, agate is durable and resistant to scratching and chipping, and scores a 6.5-7 on the Mohs hardness scale, higher than even famously hard stones such as jade. It is known to be a calming stone, and can be used to clear the mind and sharpen muddled thoughts.

The jadeite jade is from Guatemala and is 100% natural and untreated. Our jadeite jade is mined from the Motagua river valley in Guatemala, the hard stone was one of the most valuable materials in Mesoamerica and was used for a variety of purposes both sacred and
profane.

The word ‘jade’ comes from the Spanish ‘piedra de ijada’, or loin-stone, named because of its reputed ability to heal ailments of that area. But ‘jade’ actually denotes two stones, jadeite and nephrite, both of which are accepted as genuine jade. Jadeite, however, is the rarer and more valuable of the two, and is mostly what is excavated in Guatemala. While nephrite can be found in shades of green, white and grey, jadeite displays a spectrum of colors in addition to the classic green, including blue, white, pink, lavender, orange and black. Jadeite also has a Mohs hardness of 6.5-7.0—a full unit harder than nephrite—and is tougher than diamonds (i.e. is more resistant to chipping and breaking). Both nephrite and jadeite are metamorphic rocks commonly marked with veins or imperfections, although it is often these imperfections that will make a particular piece special and in some cases more valuable. In general, as it is with most stones, fine jade is distinguished by even clarity of color and translucence.

This item ships from Mexico and will take 2 to 3 weeks to arrive.