The facts
What enhydro Agate actually is
Enhydro Agate is classified as chalcedony (agate), with the composition SiO₂ enclosing liquid water and a gas bubble. It crystallises in the cryptocrystalline trigonal system.
Colour comes from usually pale translucent chalcedony; the interest is the trapped water rather than colour, which is also what a laboratory looks at when it is asked whether a colour is natural.
Refractive index 1.530–1.539. Specific gravity around 2.55–2.64. Cleavage: none. Those three numbers separate it from most of what imitates it.
Where enhydro Agate comes from
Enhydro Agate is produced at Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, Tampa Bay, Florida, USA and Sidi Rahal, Morocco.
The locality is part of the description, not a footnote — two stones of the same weight from two of these places are not the same stone.
How enhydro Agate is treated
Untreated, but fakes exist: nodules drilled, filled and resealed with epoxy are sold as natural enhydros. Check for a plug, and remember that thinning the wall too far during polishing will eventually let the water escape.
Treatment changes value, sometimes by a multiple, so it belongs in the description before the price and not after the sale.
What enhydro Agate is confused with
In the trade enhydro Agate is most often mistaken for, or substituted by, Ordinary agate, Fluid-inclusion quartz or Fabricated enhydros.
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.530–1.539 and specific gravity 2.55–2.64 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What enhydro Agate is used for
Demand for enhydro Agate comes from mineral collecting and decorative objects, which is why one price per carat never covers it.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the specimen or by the piece.
Durability and care
Enhydro Agate is 6.5–7 on the Mohs scale, with none cleavage.
With no cleavage plane to worry about, the practical limit is abrasion rather than breakage, and it takes daily wear well.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What enhydro Agate costs
As a guide, enhydro Agate trades around 20–300 USD per nodule depending on how visible the bubble is.
That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.
Questions
Is enhydro Agate treated, and how?
Untreated, but fakes exist: nodules drilled, filled and resealed with epoxy are sold as natural enhydros. Check for a plug, and remember that thinning the wall too far during polishing will eventually let the water escape.
Where does enhydro Agate come from?
Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, Tampa Bay, Florida, USA and Sidi Rahal, Morocco. Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is enhydro Agate hard enough to wear every day?
Yes. At 6.5–7 on the Mohs scale with no cleavage plane, it handles daily wear well. The practical limit is gradual abrasion rather than chipping.
How much does enhydro Agate cost?
Indicatively 20–300 USD per nodule depending on how visible the bubble is. Colour, size, clarity and origin move the price a long way within that, so treat it as a range and ask for a quote against a specific stone.
What is enhydro Agate confused with?
Most often Ordinary agate, Fluid-inclusion quartz and Fabricated enhydros. A refractive index of 1.530–1.539 and a specific gravity near 2.55–2.64 separate it quickly.
Related stones
Looking for enhydro agate?
Tell us the size, the quality and what it is for. We source it, photograph it and quote it — with the locality named.
Ask about enhydro agate