How to Identify Agates? - False and True Agate Stone

August 28, 2010- Agate stone is a very popular gemstone that is not only used for agate jewelry but also sculptures and mosaic crafts as carving inlaid gemstones. The popularity of agate stone has led many gemstone suppliers sell false agates. So, if anyone wants to get true agates, s/he must know how to identify agates? This article will help readers know the difference between true agates and false agate stones.

Examine Color to Identify Agates

The very beautiful agate stone is famous for its banded and multicolored schemes. The color bands on many agates wrap around the stone like rings of tree. However, raw agates are very ugly and dull. The stones that are used for making agate jewelry are polished agate stones. Ture agate stone, after polishing, has beautiful colours and fine patterns. The color of natural agate is clear and orderly but most of the fake agates have gorgeous colors (much bright and sparkling to be true), that instantly give a false feeling. Natural red agate stone color is clear having obvious bands. If observed carefully, one can see red stripe on the densely arranged small red spots. The false blue agates have unbelievingly uniform dyed bright colors.

Feel Texture to Identify True Agates

The natural agate or the true agates when compared with false agate stone, show a difference in their cross-sectional structure of layer of grain. When you touch true agates, you feel it cool just like a painted surface- there seems to be a layer of wax (and a wax luster) translucency. This wax type layer of true agates will not go away, even if scratched with a sharp object. When talking of fake or false agates, they might look like a high-quality gemstone and will feel cool when touched but there will be no waxy feel and gloss. However, many gem traders use some kind of organic materials that are glued on the surface of false agates to give it a wax like feel and shine. So, sometimes it really becomes difficult to identify true agates.

Other Features to Identify True Agates

There are certain other features that can also be examined to identify agates for knowing whether they are true agates or not. One of such features is the transparency of agate stone. A true agate as well as false agates are transparent but the true natural agate stone will display some kind of structures like bands etc. and therefore it is not overall transparent (all along the gemstone). On the other hand, a synthetic or false agate stone is as transparent as glass. Other feature to identify true agates is the weight of the gemstone. The weight of true agates is higher than the false agate stones. You can even feel the temperature of the true agates changing with seasons- it is cool in summer and warm in winter but the temperature of fake agates do not fluctuate with the temperature of the surrounding environment.

So, when you go out to buy agate stones or agate jewelry, you must always keep the above points in mind to identify true agates.

Want to know more aboute agate stone? Read Agate Stone History, Formation, Types & Healing Properties