Dark agate meets bright gold tone on this pendulum. Its polished point sits in a gold-tone cap and hangs from a long metal chain. The stone is small, and the pendulum is about 25 cm long including the chain. Made in India.
Named after a Sicilian river
Agate takes its name from the Achates, a river in Sicily. The ancient Greek scholar Theophrastus wrote that such stones were found there. Agate forms in layers, so fine bands often show on its polished surface. Hard and easy to polish, it has been used for seals and jewellery for thousands of years.
By tradition, agate is a stone of perseverance and security.
A pendulum chart on a sheet of paper
Many people who use a pendulum work with a simple sheet of paper. They draw a cross on it and write yes at the end of one line and no at the end of the other. Holding the pendulum over the centre, they watch which line it starts to follow.
You can make one yourself in a minute. The two lines help you notice even a small swing, and you do not have to remember which direction means what. Keep the sheet, and you can use the same one next time.
A hard stone in gold tone
A gold-tone cap looks warmer than a silver-tone one and suits the dark stone well. Agate is a hard mineral and copes well with everyday use. Wipe the cap and chain with a soft, dry cloth and do not soak them in water. The colour and pattern of the natural stone vary, so yours will look a little different from the photo.