A form of opaque, usually patterned, chalcedony which is found in massive formations, agate is usually stained by impurities and occurs in various colours such as red, green, yellow and blue. The popular red variety is a fine-grained quartz, coloured by inclusions of haematite.
From ancient times this stone was cherished for its beauty and mystical properties.The jasper mentioned in the Bible and in the wall of the New Jerusalem is believed to have been a dark green, opalescent stone. Because of its physical properties, engravers of ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt carved this stone into exquisite cameos, intaglios and scarabs. Jasper was considered a sacred stone by the Native American Indians.