Chalcedony in flat black bands. Protection, and a stone that gives nothing away.
The aesthetic
True onyx is a banded chalcedony with straight, parallel layers, classically black and white, which is what made it the stone of choice for carved cameos where one layer is cut away to reveal another. Most solid black onyx on the market is grey chalcedony that has been dyed, a practice thousands of years old. It polishes to a deep, flat, almost light-absorbing black.
The dynamic
Onyx is traditionally associated with protection, self-discipline and holding a boundary, and is often described as a stone for keeping one's own counsel.
Some variations
- black onyx
- sardonyx
- banded onyx
- green onyx