Chinese contemporary agate bangle

Chip, chip, chip, whack, hammer. That’s the sound a rock hound makes when extracting a hunk of agate from the side of a mountain. It takes perseverance to find agate, and a practiced eye to discover the mineral in its natural state. When it appears in the cavities of volcanic rock, agate is dull, almost lifeless, the inclusions giving each piece personality barely visible. By the time it is transformed into an object of translucent beauty it will pass through many hands. Rock hounds are the first to see and touch this precious commodity. They are the original treasure hunters.

A cutter shapes the piece, then a polisher refined it as a perfect circle with a flat interior, domed top and gently curved edges

This week’s New Arrival features agate bangles. On their journey to PRIMITIVE they were handled by a series of artisans, all of whom recognized the rarity of the specimen uncovered by the rock hound. First, a cutter was able to shape the piece so the inclusions would be emphasized. Then a polisher refined it as a perfect circle with a flat interior, domed top and gently curved edges. Finally, a finisher produced a uniformly brilliant surface. Despite their contribution to this process, each knew the wrist of an appreciative wearer was necessary for the rock hound’s discovery to be fully realized and transformed.  

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