Recently, the banks of the Yellow River in Lanzhou, Gansu have seen a significant decline in fish populations. This has led many people to take up a new pastime: strolling along the riverbank to collect stones. Every day, people of all ages gather in the area, including a man named Xiao and his friends.
This time, while wading in the water, Xiao felt as though someone was watching him. Strangely, the sensation did not come from the shore but from beneath the water. Xiao reached down into the water and unexpectedly found a stone shaped like an eye. Initially, he was terrified because the object he picked up closely resembled a human eye, but after calming down, he realized it was just a unique stone.
Seeing this, Xiao decided to take the stone home for further examination. Under the light, he noticed that the stone had a translucent quality with a perfect gradation of shades, making it increasingly appealing. The eye pattern on the stone was particularly remarkable, captivating anyone who looked at it.
The stone found by the young man has a pattern resembling a human eye. (Photo: Kknews)
Xiao and his friends decided to take the stone to an expert for appraisal. According to the gemologist, this stone is a piece of agate, which is quite common in China. Although it is not highly valuable, its unique pattern makes it a collectible item worth having.
Agate is a popular type of gemstone. In English, it is referred to as Agate, a crystalline variant of quartz. The chemical composition of agate is SiO2 (silicon dioxide) and it belongs to the chalcedony group. The hardness of agate ranges from 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, with a specific gravity of 2.6.
Agate forms from organic materials such as fossilized wood or more specifically, fossilized bones. However, the most abundant source of agate is from volcanic lava that cools down. After a volcanic eruption, the lava gradually cools and traps various types of soil, rocks, and ash inside it. Over time, these impurities create beautiful agate stones and boulders with stunning patterns.
According to the appraiser, this stone belongs to a very common type of agate. (Photo: Kknews)
Experts note that there are many different types of agate, and it is impossible to name all of them clearly. Notably, some types of agate stand out with unique and impressive patterns.
Agate comes in a variety of popular and beloved colors such as milky white, pale yellow, dark yellow, orange, green, and red. Among these, red and yellow agate are currently very popular and widely used in jewelry making.
Agate is also considered to have a rich color palette, comparable to that of sapphire. This type of stone was first discovered in Achates, Greece. In Vietnam, agate is most commonly found in provinces such as Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Lam Dong, and Phu Yen…
