The collection of agates was donated to the Nenets Museum of Local Lore by Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, Honored Geologist of the RSFSR G.A. Chernov in 1997. It is presented in the cut form of concentric grey blue agates. Minerals were collected on the Belaya river during the Timan expedition in 1937. Agate mineralization of the Belaya river is confined to the porous basalts of the Devonian period (410-360 million years ago), at present it is known as the Belorechensk deposit.
Agate is surprisingly diverse: scientists have about 150 varieties, differing in colour and chemical composition. Due to the possibility of fine gemstone processing, a good artistic effect can be achieved, therefore in ancient times, it was classified as a precious stone, not a semi-precious one. Agate was considered as a stone of health, prosperity and longevity.
Purposeful work was being carried out to study gemstone raw materials from 1969 to 1970 in the Northern Timan the result of which was the discovery of four agate deposits: Belorechensky, Ievsky, Chaytsinsky and Malorechensky.