Agate Mortar and Pestle

Agate is a microcrystalline variety of silica, chiefly chalcedony, distinguish by its fineness of grain and brightness of colour. Agates found in various kinds of rock. Gray Agate Mortar Pestle is classically related to volcanic rocks and can be common in certain metamorphic rocks.

Agate Mortars and Pestles are used to crush and mix chemicals. The Mortar is a bowl, and the Pestle is a heavy club-shaped object, the end of which is used for crushing and grinding. The substance to be ground is placed in the Mortar and ground, crushed or mixed using the Pestle.

Most agates occur as nodules in volcanic rocks or ancient lavas where they represent cavities originally produced by the disengagement of volatiles in the molten mass which was then filled, wholly or partially, by siliceous matter deposited in regular layers upon the walls. Agate has also been known to fill veins or cracks in volcanic or altered rock underlain by granitic intrusive masses. Such agates, when cut transversely, exhibit a succession of parallel lines, often of extreme tenuity, giving a banded appearance to the section. Such stones are known as banded agate, riband agate and striped agate.

For ordinary laboratory and educational needs, Agate mortar and pestle is an adaquate and economical choice.

Its relatively hardness and low porosity compared to porcelain make it suitable for general laboratory works.

Our mortars and pestles are made from especially hard and dense agate, and their grinding surfaces are polished to reduce contamination. Because of their natural origins, our Agate mortars and pestles may vary slightly in apparance from the picture.