Onyx is a form of chalcedony quartz mined in Brazil, India, California and Uruguay. Black onyx is the most common form of the stone on the market today. Onyx is most often a solid color, although there is white banded onyx called sardonyx. Onyx comes in many colors, but the most popular is black onyx. The use of onyx as carvings and jewelry goes back to the second dynasty of Egypt and it is mentioned in the Bible, and was known and used in ancient Rome and Greece. It has been commonly used in cameos. It is also used to create marble tile used in houses today. The quartz in the onyx gives the marble tiles a bit of extra durability.
The large majority of black onyx on the market today has been heat treated or dyed to enhance the color. On the Moh scale, Onyx is a 7. The name comes from the Greek work "onyx" which means claw or fingernail.
According to legend, onyx came into being one day when Venus was asleep, Cupid cut her fingernails and left the clippings laying on the ground. Since no part of a heavenly body can die, the gods turned the clippings into stone which became known as onyx.
It is believed that onyx can help change habits, aid with insomnia, and eliminate negative thinking. It is also believed to eliminate stress and apathy. It is also said that onyx increases happiness and intuition. It is said that onyx can help with objective thinking and spiritual inspiration.
Green Onyx
Sardonyx
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