There is a stone that for me is particularly captivating: the dendritic agate. Of all its varieties and colors, the most beautiful -at least for me- is also called scenic agate, because of the play of tones and inclusions. It is a highly translucent stone, with delicate inner dendrites that seem painted, as if they were part of a Japanese painting. A small landscape enclosed in a mineral canvas.

Dendritic agate is a variety of quartz, composed mainly of silica. This silica is deposited in layers, which gives rise to the characteristic banded patterns of agate. During its formation, it can incorporate traces of manganese or iron oxides, which eventually become those branched structures we call dendrites. Dendritic comes from the Greek dendron, meaning “tree”. It continues to amaze me to think that these natural processes take millions of years, and that the small stone we hold in our hands holds within it such an ancient history. Most of the dendritic agates I use come from India, where some of the finest and most detailed specimens are found.

Before reaching us, someone -a lapidary craftsman- has had to carve it with patience and precision to release all its beauty. It is a meticulous work that, in many cases, justifies the value of some specimens.

As a jeweler, I can say that dendritic agate, depending on how it is cut, can be a difficult stone to set. Sometimes, a small blow is enough to break it in two. However, it has something very grateful: it does not need much more than a simple design to protect and accompany it. It says it all on its own.

From the energetic point of view, dendritic agate is associated to the connection with the earth, to recollection and inner calm. Perhaps it is because, when we contemplate these small works born from natural processes, we remember that we are also part of that same creation. Not above it, but in balance, in dialogue with what surrounds us.