WORTHINGTON FINE ART GALLERIES

Rare Colorful Ancient Roman Agate Necklace, circa 1st-3rd century AD | Size : 48cm long | Repaired and Restrung as original with modern clasp

Agate /ˈæɡət/ is a cryptocrystalline variety of silica, chiefly chalcedony, characterized by its fineness of grain and brightness of color. Although agates may be found in various kinds of rock, they are classically associated with volcanic rocks and can be common in certain metamorphic rocks.

The stone was given its name by Theophrastus, a Greek philosopher and naturalist, who discovered the stone along the shore line of the river Achates (Greek: Ἀχάτης) in present-day Sicily, sometime between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC.[3] Colorful agates and other chalcedonies were obtained over 3,000 years ago from the Achates River, now called Dirillo.

Agate is one of the common materials used in the art of hardstone carving, and has been recovered at a number of ancient sites, indicating its widespread use in the ancient world; for example, archaeological recovery at the Knossos site on Crete illustrates its role in Bronze Age Minoan culture