Let’s dig a little deeper into the stone’s uses. Crystal healers use the stone to increase stamina and determination. In China, black onyx is a protective and grounding stone used for Feng Shui. There’s also exciting symbolism behind the black onyx spiritual meaning. But the stone was also used for intaglios (negative reliefs, like the ancient Gemma Augustea) that highlight onyx’s beautiful bands. What did the gods do with her fingernail clippings? Transform them into onyx, naturally!įor the Ancient Greeks and Romans, onyx became a choice stone for carving cameos. Legend has it that Eros, the Greek god of love and passion, rebelliously cut the sleeping goddess, Aphrodite’s fingernails, with an arrowhead. You just know there’s some rich folklore coming to illustrate the ancient black onyx meaning, right? We won’t leave you hanging. What does onyx symbolize? The original onyx stone meaning comes from the Greek term onux, which means "fingernail" in English. The most common naturally occurring form of onyx, consisting of a black layer with white on top, is called “Arabic onyx.” Some gemologists call this variety “true” onyx. The body tone is so black it appears almost blue, like a midnight sky, topped with delicate layers of white. Niccolo onyx has a black base with thin, nearly translucent bands that appear light blue or light gray. Image credit: Sailko | Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license The result is a stone with warm hues of brown, red, and yellow along with color-banding. Sardonyx is chemically similar to onyx, but its colors differ because the onyx mixes with another chalcedony variety called sard. For instance, you may have heard of onyx by another name: sardonyx. Most onyx is black and white, but there are additional variations. Because genuine black onyx is elusive, most stones advertised as solid black onyx are chalcedony stones dyed black. These are highly rare in nature, though, and typically have surrounding colors in the base rock that lapidaries cut away. Most natural onyx exhibits thin bands of color, but sometimes, you’ll come across an entirely solid-black onyx stone. Varieties: Sardonyx, Carnelian Onyx, Black Onyx, Agate Onyx, Nicolo OnyxĬrystal structure: Hexagonal, microcrystallineĬolors: Black and white (banded), red, brown, yellow, blue, solid black What is black onyx made of, exactly? Below are the onyx geological properties and characteristics. However, distinguishing one from the other can only be done with rough specimens where the parallel lines and banding are visible.īlack onyx is a popular choice for beads, jewelry, and carvings, and you can find the stone in bracelets, earrings, rings, and necklaces. It’s important to understand the difference because onyx has distinct parallel lines, whereas agate has swirling, concentric, non-linear lines. Additionally, most people are more familiar with sardonyx, a warmer-toned variety that’s also an August birthstone. Black onyxes with banded white are commonly marketed as agate, so onyx as an entity has blurred within the gem market. While it’s often confused with agate, a sister gemstone, the two are different gemstones. But let’s not disregard this unique gem, as it still has contemporary uses and benefits. Black onyx is still a popular gemstone, but it doesn’t have the same admiration as diamonds or sapphires. While black onyx was a prized gem during early civilization, it has gradually decreased in value and prestige over time. Is onyx a precious stone? No, black onyx is a semi-precious gemstone. The stone’s black base offers the perfect backdrop to allow the white upper layer to illuminate figurines, sculptures, and portraits carved by a skilled hand. The stark contrast provides the perfect depth for skilled artisans to carve intricate jewelry cameos and intaglios. Adding to the intrigue of this mysterious gem are banded layers of milky white. Like agate, onyx is a chalcedony mineral composed of microcrystalline quartz. You’ll find everything there is to know about onyx gemstone information in this handy guide, so come along to learn all about black onyx gemstones! What is the meaning of black onyx? Is black onyx valuable? And what is black onyx used for, anyway? The most popular variety is black onyx, a traditionally exceptional gemstone for jewelry, carvings, and décor. Despite the various interpretations, onyx is a natural gemstone in its own class. Over time, the term "onyx" has evolved to describe any engraved stone material with a solid body tone. The onyx stone has been the choice material for jewelry cameos for centuries. Black onyx is a type of layered chalcedony gemstone in midnight black with white bands.
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