Gagati, or else Black Stone ''Melan ilektron'', as the ancient Greeks named it, took its name from the city of Gagai in Lycia, according to the etymological sources. The gagatis belongs to lignite, which means its is a rock created millions of years ago from organic matter (mainly logs), which received enormous pressure. Other names that gagatis is known are Black Amber and Black Jasper.
The Prayer Ropes (or prayer beads) from gagatis were particularly popular in Russia at the 19th century, because of the silvery black color and symbolism that it has in the Orthodox monasticism. In the town of Irkutsk, Siberia, where it has identified the major reservoir gagatis, the city's cathedral is decorated with gagatis.
