Latest from MrBead with Free Shipping + Sardonyx & Onyx

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Sardonyx & Onyx – alternate stone for August          

 You need onyx beads for the same reason you have so many black clothes - you can wear it with anything! Onyx mixes well with other colors too.  Being unobtrusive, allowing other brilliantly colored gemstones to shine. Yet at the same time, when onyx is highly polished and nicely faceted, this stone demands attention on its own.

 Although onyx is one of the more recognized stones, nearly all stones sold as "black onyx" are actually color enhanced chalcedony.  Which is not so bad as onyx is a member of the agate-chalcedony family, just like carnelian.  Stones sold as "banded onyx" with swirls and curving bands of white are also color enhanced agates. In fact you can pretty much assume that all onyx sold today is color enhanced.  True onyx has alternating bands of black and white layers that are pretty straight.  

      The coloring process used to turn chalcedony into black onyx is rather interesting. Natural chalcedonies are first soaked in a concentrated sugar solution, and then heated in sulfuric acid. Just like when you are cooking with sugar, the heat carbonizes the sugar soaked up into the porous stone and turns it into the beloved black color.  Thanks to this technique, onyx is now readily available and affordable.

 Onyx looks bold and sexy when combined with red beads. It tones down a colorful necklace that might other wise look garish, yet prevents pastel projects from appearing bubblegum sweet. Onyx is also fantastic with stones that have black inclusions, like tourmalated quartz and Peruvian opal. The black of the onyx stops the inclusions from being a distracting flaw by turning them into bridges that allow the viewer to keep their eyes moving over the necklace. Faceted onyx adds sophistication to your designs, while smooth onyx inserts a sleek and modern touch.  And onyx with pearls creates very elegant jewelry. Onyx‘s versatility gives it limitless possibility mixed with other stones, so it's a good idea to always have a few onyx beads handy.      

Sardonyx is onyx with white and red-brown bands- named from the Greek, “Sard” meaning "reddish brown," and onyx meaning "veined gem”. Sardonyx at one time was more precious than gold, silver, or sapphire!  Roman soldiers wore sardonyx talismans engraved with heroes such as Hercules or Mars, god of war. They believed that the stone would make the wearer as brave and daring as the figured carved on it. And during the Renaissance, sardonyx was thought to greatly help public speakers.

 Onyx has been used to strengthen the heart, kidneys, nerves, hair, eyes and nails; while sharpening the wits, controlling emotions, inspiring spirituality and aiding sleep.  Also said to eliminate negative thoughts, apathy, stress and neurological disorders – and black Onyx is used to help change habits.

 Care and treatment: Onyx may chip or scratch rather easily, so store onyx carefully and never allow two specimens to touch each other. top of page

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