mineral

Blue Banded Agate

Chalcedony (Silicon Dioxide, SiO2)

Hardness: 6.5-7 on Mohs scale. Color: Bright blue, white, and translucent bands. Luster: Waxy to vitreous. Crystal Structure: Trigonal (microcrystalline/cryptocrystalline). Cleavage: None. Specific Gravity: 2.58-2.64.

Hardness: 6
Color: Bright blue, white, and translucent bands
Luster: Waxy to vitreous

Identified June 18, 2026More mineral →

Identify your own rocks.

Get a report just like this from any photo, free.

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed by the deposition of silica from groundwater in the cavities of igneous rocks, primarily volcanic lava. The blue color in this specific specimen is enhanced through artificial dyeing, a common practice for agates.

Uses & applications

Used extensively in jewelry making for pendants and beads, decorative carvings, and as a healing stone in metaphysical practices. Industrial uses include mortars and pestles.

Geological facts

Agate was named by Theophrastus, a Greek philosopher, who discovered the stone along the shore line of the river Achates in present-day Sicily. Intense blue banding like this is almost always the result of staining porous chalcedony with iron salts.

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by its distinct concentric banding and waxy appearance. Commonly found in Brazil, Uruguay, and India. Collectors look for unique patterns and transluency.

Other mineral specimens

See all

Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)

Arenite (SiO2 based)

sedimentary

Schist

Metamorphic

Epidote

Epidote | Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH)

metamorphic

Nephrite Jade

Nephrite

Mineral/Rock

Banded Gneiss (River Rock/Pebble)

Gneiss (specifically a banded variety often found as a river rock)

Metamorphic Rock

Green Apatite on Albite

Fluorapatite [Ca5(PO4)3F] on Albite [Na(AlSi3O8)]

mineral