 | Agate is a form of chalcedony called cryptocrystalline. It typically filled cracks and gas cavities in ancient lava flows. Scotland's agates are from the Old Red Sandstone age. (about 400 million years old). The nature of the formation of agates means that no two will ever be the same and though widely available, there are forms of agate exceedingly rare and expensive. Used for ornamentation and healing amulets, agate found favor in civilizations around the world throughout the ages. |  |
 | Used on a small scale for the manufacture of jewellery for over two hundred years, agate is one of Scotland's best-known semi-precious stones. Cut into thin pieces it is nearly transparent and far less brittle than normal quartz. |  |
