Agate ( /ˈæɡət/) is a microcrystalline variety of silica, chiefly chalcedony, characterised by its fineness of grain and brightness of color. Although agates may be found in various kinds of rock, they are classically associated with volcanic rocks and can be common in certain metamorphic rocks.
Read more about Agate: Etymology and History, Formation and Characteristics, Types of Agate, Uses in Industry and Art
Famous quotes containing the word agate:
“O heart, small urn
of porphyry, agate or cornelian,
how imperceptibly the grain fell
between a heart-beat of pleasure
and a heart-beat of pain.”
—Hilda Doolittle (1886–1961)
“I see the horses and the sad streets
Of my childhood in an agate eye
Roving, under the clean sheets,
Over a black hole in the sky.”
—Allen Tate (1899–1979)
“Shaw’s plays are the price we pay for Shaw’s prefaces.”
—James Agate (1877–1947)