Tree Agate & Gold Braid Bracelet

Description

Tree Agate is a type of Dendritic Agate, a variety of chalcedony, which are minerals that contain a microcrystalline structure and belong in the quartz family. Tree Agate has often been confused for the genetically related Moss Agate, (genetically related merely indicates that these minerals form under similar conditions) a semitransparent agate with green mossy inclusions. Tree Agate, on the other hand, is an opaque, white which means the mossy inclusions are only visible when exposed at the surface, and the mineral should by all rights be considered a Jasper as a result.

The formation of this gemstone typically occurs in vesicles, (cavities) as nodules or geodes of volcanic rocks after they’ve cooled, such as basalt. As silica-rich solutions pass through the porous volcanic rock, layers of microscopic silica are deposited onto the inner walls of the vesicles as it crystalizes. Over a long period of time, the presence of maganese or iron oxide minerals within the silica-rich solution leads to the formation of the dendritic inclusions found in Tree Agate.This process can take millions of years, during which impurities and mineral inclusions may also contribute to the unique colors and patterns within the agate.

Agate gemstones have been values all over the world for thousands of years, with archaeological evidence of their cultural significance dating back to the Neolithic Era. The name “Agate” comes from the Greek philosopher Theophrastus who named the stone for the Achates River, (now named Dirillo River).