New Blue Agate Bracelet - Please Help!

[RAEDAY]

I just brought home this beautiful blue agate bracelet but I’m now in a panic. To those who have blue agate, would you please kindly let me know if it is normal to have these tiny little specks throughout each stone? I’m terrified I may have damaged them because I was wearing sunscreen when I wore the bracelet out of the boutique. On some stones it’s more pronounced than others.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[glamourbag]

I assume you tried cleaning it / wiping it with a microfibre cloth? I doubt it was on the motifs when you left the store so it could be your cream. If you cannot remove it, you could return to the store and they could help you.

 

[KittyCattt]

Have you tried wiping them to the edges? If not, try your best and get to the edges/corners as close as possible. If the dirt and smudges do go away, then that's normal. Oil and smudges are just hard to clean off along the edges, and this happens often to any stones. If they don't come off then consult your SA

Also, obviously it is always not recommended that any of their stones (except diamonds) contact water. But if you can't get to the edges with cloth, try wiping with a very slightly damp paper towel (no soap). The paper towel is thinner than cloth so it's easier to get to the corners. I also want to point out that I used to clean often, but not anymore. Bc they're just going to look like this (dirty) as soon as I wear the bracelet next time. So to me there isn't a point to clean it each time after use anymore since wiping could also create scratches. I only clean it when it really looks dirty. HTH!

 

[DS2006]

Have you tried to clean the stones with a cloth? Because I can see a white substance around some of the motifs. I don't know what it is, but no kind of lotion should come into contact with it. If you didn't notice this when you bought it, it must be the sunscreen.

 

[RAEDAY]

Thank you all for your quick responses! The cloudiness around the edges in the pictures is residual from the sunscreen I had on and is coming off thankfully. I was in the process of cleaning the motifs with the microfiber cloth when I noticed the little specks. It’s strange—I only see them in direct light when the light is glaring against the stone. In soft/normal light I do not see them at all. It’s driving me crazy because I didn’t notice them in the boutique so naturally I wonder if it was me. I just cannot tell if they are naturally occurring within the stone or if it’s a result of something I did.

 

[lynne_ross]

Note that my vca store cleans my blue agate with a tooth brush, water and dish soap. I do the same at home too and don’t bother with the clothes. It is hardy stone and can get wet.

 

[RAEDAY]

On another note… I keep thinking about the other blue agate bracelet I tried on. Which shade looks best? I chose the bracelet on the left because of how it popped, but I adore the darker, deeper shade as well. I’m so torn!

 

[Parisluxury]

I like the one you chose. I like pop blue for agate and not the dark ones.

 

[KittyCattt]

On another note… I keep thinking about the other blue agate bracelet I tried on. Which shade looks best? I chose the bracelet on the left because of how it popped, but I adore the darker, deeper shade as well. I’m so torn!

Glad to hear that the smudges went away, please enjoy your piece

As for shades, it actually matters more to me whether all 5 motifs look cohesive. Mine has one motif that is darker and less transparent over light, but thankfully all five still match pretty well when worn on the wrist. And you can tell that I'm mentioning this so even this is slightly bothering me lol. If you also care about this, have you compared both bracelets? Hope this is only going to help you and not confuse you.

 

[RAEDAY]

Glad to hear that the smudges went away, please enjoy your piece

As for shades, it actually matters more to me whether all 5 motifs look cohesive. Mine has one motif that is darker and less transparent over light, but thankfully all five still match pretty well when worn on the wrist. And you can tell that I'm mentioning this so even this is slightly bothering me lol. If you also care about this, have you compared both bracelets? Hope this is only going to help you and not confuse you.

This is a great point! I actually don’t mind a bit of variance—for me, it adds a certain character and uniqueness to the piece. More shades to love! Thank you so much for your insight and thoughtful reply.

 

[RAEDAY]

Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply! Blue agate was never on my radar before, but when I tried it on—whoa. Grateful to add this beauty to my collection!

 

[snnysmm]

Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply! Blue agate was never on my radar before, but when I tried it on—whoa. Grateful to add this beauty to my collection!

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It is beautiful and looks great on your skin tone.

Blue agate was never on my radar either, but blue is my favorite color and when I tried it on it was game over. Instant love!

Enjoy your bracelet! You picked a good one!

 

[TC1]

Thank you all for your quick responses! The cloudiness around the edges in the pictures is residual from the sunscreen I had on and is coming off thankfully. I was in the process of cleaning the motifs with the microfiber cloth when I noticed the little specks. It’s strange—I only see them in direct light when the light is glaring against the stone. In soft/normal light I do not see them at all. It’s driving me crazy because I didn’t notice them in the boutique so naturally I wonder if it was me. I just cannot tell if they are naturally occurring within the stone or if it’s a result of something I did.

Isn't Agate known for being a pitted stone? I don't know about VCA..but Agate itself is known for that.

 

[Model T]

Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply! Blue agate was never on my radar before, but when I tried it on—whoa. Grateful to add this beauty to my collection!

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It’s gorgeous! I’m considering getting one for my birthday. I tried it on two summers ago and have been thinking about it ever since.

How has it held up? I have an onyx alhambra bracelet that I sometimes wear for extended periods of time (I know, I know shame on me) and would like to wear the blue agate the same way? Do you wear it 24/7 or take it off to swim, shower, etc?

 

[RAEDAY]

It’s gorgeous! I’m considering getting one for my birthday. I tried it on two summers ago and have been thinking about it ever since.

How has it held up? I have an onyx alhambra bracelet that I sometimes wear for extended periods of time (I know, I know shame on me) and would like to wear the blue agate the same way? Do you wear it 24/7 or take it off to swim, shower, etc?

Thank you! I am admittedly biased, but I cannot recommend this piece highly enough. I completely understand why you’re still thinking about it! There’s something about that blue that is just mesmerizing and I am constantly looking at my wrist whenever I wear it. It has easily become my favorite piece from VCA that I own.

The blue agate has held up beautifully. I baby my jewelry by nature, but I have zero wear and I wear the bracelet regularly. I should note that I take my jewelry off at night and do not shower with it. Because blue agate is in the chalcedony family like onyx and carnelian for example, it is a fairly hard-wearing stone. It rates 6.5-7 on the Mohs Hardness Scale and diamonds are rated at 10 for reference. For these reasons, I think you would be just fine wearing the agate for extended periods of time if you so choose!

What’s wonderful also is that you can always pay to have the stones replaced down the road if you ever deem it necessary. One hopes to never have to do that, but this fact has always given me peace of mind knowing it’s an option. Life happens!

I hope this helps. You won’t regret the agate! I am including a recent photo of mine next to my onyx since you have the onyx too in case it helps seeing them together.