At this year’s Couture Show in Las Vegas, Parisian jeweller Statement introduced a new variation of its My Way design featuring landscape agate, marking the first time the stone has been integrated into the brand’s graphic art deco style. The piece draws inspiration from the desert hues surrounding the city, highlighting the stone’s distinctive natural layers.

Landscape agates, known for their intricate and often pictorial patterns, have long captivated jewellers for the unique imagery they present rather than their monetary value. These patterns, formed by deposits of iron and manganese within chalcedony over millions of years, can resemble wintry forests, mountain ranges, or abstract organic forms. Brooke Gregson, a designer working between Los Angeles and London, compares the stones’ visuals to a Rorschach test, open to individual interpretation.

Historically, agates have been valued since ancient times as talismans, and their pictorial qualities were particularly prized during the Georgian and Victorian eras. The Art Nouveau movement later embraced the stone for its expressive potential. Munich-based high-jewellery house Hemmerle has incorporated agates into its avant-garde pieces, often positioning the stone itself as the centerpiece. Christian Hemmerle, the brand’s director, emphasizes the natural artistry of these gems, describing the geological processes that create what appear to be elaborate landscapes contained within small stones.

Hemmerle’s design philosophy involves using materials such as bronze, aluminium, and iron to complement the agates’ hues and textures, while sparing use of diamonds and colored gemstones helps preserve the stones’ subtle beauty. Yasmin Hemmerle, co-creative director, notes that the stones reward closer observation and foster a personal connection between wearer and jewel.

This balance between gemstone and miniature artwork has led to fresh discussions about what defines a precious jewel. UK jeweller Alice Ciolini’s Landscape collection, recently shown at an exhibition curated as part of the Edinburgh Fringe, features carved agates as structural elements alongside enamel detailing, with some pieces highlighting the stone alone. Similarly, Santa Fe-based designer Daria de Koning and Florida-based Courtney Leidy incorporate dendritic and landscape agates into their 2023 collections. Leidy pairs the natural patterns of the stones with faceted gemstones and diamonds, appreciating the contrast between organic irregularity and precise cut stones—a quality she says lends value through individuality rather than standard metrics.

Gregson’s early exposure to agates, collected by her mother, informs her creative process, as she crafts pieces that elevate the stones’ natural imagery. She recounts a recent customer who connected deeply with a design that reminded her of both Ibiza and London, underscoring the personal resonance these stones can evoke.

Paris-based Garnazelle’s artistic director, Céline Rivet Escrive, observes that while French interest in landscape agates remains somewhat niche, the stones enjoy wider international appeal. She describes their imagery as “incredibly romantic and inspiring,” often evoking mysterious landscapes or dramatic skies.

The growing appreciation for such unique natural formations also mirrors shifts in collector preferences. Courtney Leidy notes an increasing desire among collectors to own pieces with deep individuality rather than conventional markers of value. Although the finest landscape agates are difficult to source, their appeal lies in the improbability of their natural patterns and the personal stories people find within them, challenging traditional notions of preciousness in jewellery.