Title: Two Sided Red And Brown Oval 19th Century Antique Stone Agate Box
Shipping: $29.00
Artist: N/A
Period: Unassigned
History: N/A
Origin: Central Europe > France
Condition: Very Good
Item Date: N/A
Item ID: 685
Two Sided Red And Brown Oval 19th Century Antique Stone Agate Box Italian or French Agate hard-stone and metal box work. This is a small size and wonderful to house stamps, or just to give interest and scale to your own collection of these delicate old semi-precious stone treasures. The gilt bronze framework for the top is in fine condition, and has a snug fitting hinged lid that is in pristine condition. Perfect for earrings, or bedside jewelry at night time.
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agate
Colorful agates were found over 3,000 years ago from the Achates River, now called Dirillo, in Sicily. 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 sometime between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. Most agates occur as nodules in volcanic rocks or ancient lavas where they represent cavities originally produced by the disengagement of volatiles in the molten mass which were then filled, wholly or partially, by siliceous matter deposited in regular layers upon the walls. <br />The agates are extremely resistant to weathering and remain as nodules in the soil or are deposited as gravel in streams and shorelines. Colored agate found in Sicily back to 400 B.C. The Greeks used it for making jewelry and beads. Today any agate of this color from Sicily, once an ancient Greek colony, is called Greek agate. Yet the stone had been around centuries before that and was known to both the Sumerians and the Egyptians, who used the gem for decoration and religious ceremony. In many traditions agate is believed to cure the stings of scorpions and the bites of snakes, soothe the mind, prevent contagion, still thunder and lightning, promote eloquence, secure the favour of the powerful, and bring victory over enemies.[citation needed] Persian magi are also known to have prized agate rings in their work and beliefs. Some followers of Pagan religions also believe agate is a crystal whose powers can be used for love, mental clarity, and good luck in card games.
