Information About Agate Marbles
Agate marbles, often recognized by their colored stripes, have fascinated generations of children and adults. Collectors seek out certain agate patterns and colors from specific manufacturers, and they'll often pay hundreds of dollars for individual marbles.
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History
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The agate moniker comes from a type of agate called chalcedony quartz, which is known for its multicolored striations. Original agate marbles that were hand-ground in Idar-Oberstein, Germany date back to 1775. Authentic hand-ground and machine-made German agate marbles sold in the United States until the 1970s.
Manufacturers
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Several American glass marble manufacturers emulated the characteristic color bands of chalcedony quartz agates in the 1920s and 1930s. Over the years, agate manufacturers included Akro, Alley, Champion, Christianson, Dyke, Heaton and Vitro. In the 1920s, the California Agate Company made agates of Mexican alabaster. The Jabo company still produces agates in 2010.
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Names
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Manufacturers gave some of their agate patterns color names like cardinal red, cerise and moss agate. Collectors generally agree on commonly accepted pattern names such as corkscrew and parrot, while lacking consensus on others. Corkscrews, identified by style, have one or more colored stripes wrapping from the top to the bottom without intersecting. Parrots, identified by their color combination, have four swirls in red, blue, yellow and green.
Nicknames
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Nicknames for agates include "aggie", "aggy" and "aggety." "Realies" refers to genuine stone agates. In Nebraska, a "snot agate" has cloudy, veined interiors. In Kentucky, "jug" refers to agates in general. In Arkansas, Illinois and Pennsylvania, "immie" means imitation agate.
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