Black Onyx – Myths and Facts
December birthstone, “Onyx” is the mystical gemstone, loved by people for centuries. It is the 7th and 10th year anniversary gemstone and also the “Leo” birthstone. It got its name from the Greek work “onux” which means nail. The legend associated with this gemstone goes like this: According to the Romans, once the goddess Venus was asleep on the bank of the Indus River and Eros / Cupid was clipping her nails and some of them fell into the river and onto the ground. To immortalize the remains of this celestial body, these nails were turned into stones and came to be known as Onyx!
The onyx stone belongs to the chalcedony quartz family and has a soft, waxy luster. It is a dark form of agate stone. These stones are the silica deposits from volcanic eruptions and can show colored stripes on their outer surface. Some onyx stones display straight, parallel bands of white on a black or reddish-brown background and are known as sardonyx. Onyx can be found in large quantities in Brazil, Peru, Afghanistan, India, Madagascar, and the United States. These stones are cut from agate and are layered. Each layer has its own color and normally the light colored layer is placed on top of the dark one. This variety of layered onyx is used primarily in engraving where the layers exhibit an interesting look.
With a hardness of 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, this stone is very good for carving. Beautiful engravings such as “intaglio”, where a negative image is created, and “cameo”, a relief relief, are created with this amazing stone. Onyx is a silicon dioxide with a density of 2.58-2.65 and a refractive index of 1.530-1.540.
Apart from these physical properties, this stone is said to have mystical powers. It is believed that this stone can reflect negative energy and increase one’s determination to achieve one’s goals. Himalayan Buddhist monks use this stone because they believe it to be the most protective stone. Similarly, ancient soldiers used to carry onyx with them to keep them safe from injury and damage in battle. The Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio was famous for carrying lots of sardonyx.
Black onyx is widely used in jewelry due to its low cost and potential for making elegant jewelry. Other gemstones that come in black are diamond, tourmaline, jet, spinel, and sapphire. Since onyx is the cheapest of all, it is the most popular. It can be used with metals like silver, gold, or platinum, but black onyx works best with yellow gold. Attractive jewelry is made with this combination of black and yellow. Rings, pendants, earrings, when studded with onyx gemstones, highlight the best piece of jewelry.
Maintenance of onyx is very easy. Avoid taking this gemstone to places with extreme weather conditions like too hot or too cold. It can be cleaned well with a soft, damp cloth, should not be exposed to harsh chemicals, and should be stored in a cool, dry place.