Blue Lace Agate - Hematite Bracelet II (3-4mm)

Blue lace agate was hidden for millions of years in the Namibian desert. It was discovered in the 1960s. The primary mine closed in 2017.

Product Highlights:

• The Stone: Two stones, one bracelet. Blue lace agate gets its color from the same effect that makes the sky blue. Light bounces off microscopic structures inside the stone and scatters into soft blue. Each faceted bead shows the delicate white and blue banding the stone is known for. Between them sit matte black hematite cubes. These are dense and dark, grounding the pale blue. Finished with a sterling silver clasp.
• History: Blue lace agate has no ancient mythology. It is a modern discovery with a remarkable story. In the 1960s, prospector Willy Preiss found a thin vein of this stone in the Namibian desert. He lived too far away to mine it himself. In 1969, he made a deal with George Swanson, a farmer living closer to the deposit, trading the mine for 50 tons of agate. Swanson ran the mine for over 40 years. After the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, he noticed his polished agate looked exactly like the famous "Blue Marble" photograph of Earth taken from space. He used this to market the stone worldwide. The mine closed in 2017, and its future remains uncertain.
• The Belief: In modern crystal practice, blue lace agate is a throat chakra stone, said to strengthen calm communication and ease anxiety.

Our pieces are made with natural gemstones; slight variations in color, size, and pattern may occur.