Quite rare and unusual, this is not a specimen you will see often!
Iris agate displays the entire spectrum of colours when light shines through its very thin bands, so it’s like staring directly into a rainbow. It promotes honesty, centres and grounds you, and strengthens joy, trust, and optimism.
“Iris” comes from the Greek word meaning “rainbow.” Iris agate, also known as iridescent or rainbow agate, is a vibrant bringer of happiness. Since rainbows normally consist of the seven formative, primary colours, they represent universality, oneness, creation, and the seven main chakras. Iris agate helps align the chakras, clearing the way for harmony and energetic balance. It inspires creativity in every way – mind, body, and soul.
Iris agate is a great stone for fulfilling desires as it shows you the tools you already have to achieve your goal or desire.
To be considered Iris agate the translucent or transparent part of the stone must have at least 15 to 30 bands per millimeter that are countable under a gemological microscope. Most agates will not be suitable. They must also be sliced so that the sawn surface is perpendicular to the banding of the agate. The thinner they are sliced, the stronger the rainbow. The surface of the agate should be brightly polished to allow the easy entry of light.
When light strikes the agate, it encounters the edges of the tiny bands. These bands disrupt the flow of light, and the rays of light take many separate paths through the thin bands. The bands act as a natural diffraction grating that diffracts the light and produces all the colours of the rainbow 🌈
