{"title":"Botswana Agate Beads","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eBotswana agate beads are banded chalcedony with unusually fine, even stripes in grey, white, pink and brown, laid down in layers inside cavities in ancient lava flows. The stone takes its name from the Bobonong district of Botswana, the only commercial source. This collection holds natural Botswana agate in a range of finishes and shapes for bracelets, necklaces and earrings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAppearance\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ground color is a soft grey, and the bands run through it in white, pale pink, apricot and brown, often as concentric rings around a central eye. The bands are thinner and more regular than in most agates, which gives the stone a drawn, pencil-line look. Strands vary in how much pink they carry and in whether the pattern shows as straight stripes or closed rings: a cut across a nodule gives rings, a cut along it gives stripes. Larger and freeform cuts show longer stretches of pattern than small beads do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA polished finish lets light into the translucent bands so the grey reads almost blue; a matte finish flattens the contrast and makes the stone look like a worn pebble. At 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale it is as hard as other chalcedony and holds up to everyday wear without special care.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFormation and origin\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBotswana agate formed about 180 million years ago inside gas bubbles in basalt lava that flooded southern Africa as the supercontinent Gondwana began to split. Silica-rich water seeped into the hollows over long periods and deposited chalcedony on the walls in successive layers, each slightly different in iron content and crystal size, which is what produces the bands. The pink and brown come from iron oxides; the grey and white are nearly pure chalcedony. Mining is by hand from weathered basalt near Bobonong in eastern Botswana.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePairings\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/carnelian-beads\" style=\"color: #2b00ff;\"\u003eCarnelian agate beads\u003c\/a\u003e: the orange sits next to Botswana agate's pink bands, and both are chalcedony of the same hardness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/amber-beads\" style=\"color: #2b00ff;\"\u003eAmber beads\u003c\/a\u003e: warm honey tones pick up the apricot bands, and amber's light weight balances a strand of agate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/tourmaline-beads\" style=\"color: #2b00ff;\"\u003eTourmaline beads\u003c\/a\u003e: dark greens and pinks give the pale banding a deeper anchor, and at 7 to 7.5 it wears as hard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eLore and Meaning\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBotswana agate meaning in crystal traditions centers on comfort and steadiness, and it is sometimes called the sunset stone for its pink bands. Agates have been carried as protective stones since antiquity, and this variety is associated with calm, with letting go of old habits, and with the root and crown chakras. These are traditional beliefs, not claims of physical effect.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"botswana-agate-smooth-round-6mm-8mm-10mm","title":"Botswana Agate · Smooth · Round · 6mm, 8mm, 10mm","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStrand Length: approx. 15.5 inches.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e100% natural Botswana Agate.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBeautifully striped gray and brown stone with circular ring patterns - truly eye catching! Botswana Agate\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is a long believed to provide comfort and protection from feelings of loneliness and loss, in addition to supporting unconditional love.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAgate is a translucent variety of banded microcrystalline quartz. The name agate comes the Achete River in Sicily where these semi-precious stones were found in ancient times. Agates are known to have stabilizing and strengthening influences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tejas Beads","offers":[{"title":"6.5mm","offer_id":43314271977699,"sku":"1RdAgaBot6.5S001","price":13.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"8mm","offer_id":33189461360780,"sku":"1RdAgaBot08S001","price":17.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"8.5mm","offer_id":43314273485027,"sku":"1RdAgaBot8.5S001","price":17.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10mm","offer_id":33189461393548,"sku":"1RdAgaBot10S001","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0349\/3160\/5644\/products\/DSCF2603.jpg?v=1762526143"},{"product_id":"botswana-agate-faceted-freeform-tube-8mm","title":"Botswana Agate · Smooth · Freeform Tube · 8mm","description":"\u003cp\u003eStrand Length: approx. 15 inches.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDimensions: Approx. 8x13mm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSize is +\/- 1mm due to the freeform shape.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan mce-data-marked=\"1\"\u003e100% natural Botswana agate beads.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tejas Beads","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43943914143971,"sku":"FmAgaBot08F189","price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0349\/3160\/5644\/files\/Botswana-Agate-Beads-2600.jpg?v=1691697244"},{"product_id":"yellow-botswana-agate-beads","title":"Botswana Agate · Smooth · Round · 6.5mm **CLEARANCE**","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eStrand Length: 15 inches.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e100% natural Botswana agate beads.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese Yellow Botswana Agate beads feature a soft blend of creamy white, warm yellow, honey, peach, and smoky gray tones, with translucent areas and delicate natural banding. Botswana Agate forms as layers of silica gradually fill cavities in volcanic rock, creating its characteristic bands and color variation. Metaphysically, it is associated with comfort, stability, and grounding.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tejas Beads","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47234769748195,"sku":"1RdAgaBot6.5S678","price":4.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0349\/3160\/5644\/files\/yellow-botswana-agate-beads-01.jpg?v=1787077229"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0349\/3160\/5644\/collections\/DSCF2750.jpg?v=1589775530","url":"https:\/\/www.tejasbeads.com\/collections\/botswana-agate-beads.oembed","provider":"Tejas Beads","version":"1.0","type":"link"}