Onyx - knowledge base, jewelry
Properties of onyx, physiological effects, zodiac signs and onyx jewelry.
Onyx primarily refers to the banded variety of the silicate mineral chalcedony.
Agate and onyx are both varieties of layered chalcedony that differ only in the pattern.
The colors of it’s bands range from black to almost every color. Commonly, specimens of onyx contain bands of black and white. Onyx, as a descriptive term, has also been applied to parallel banded varieties of alabaster, marble, calcite, obsidian and opal. Onyx comes through from Greek, meaning "claw" or "fingernail". Onyx is actually the name for the uniformly colored chalcedony, nowadays it is called the black version.
Chemical and physical properties of onyx:
Formula:
SiO2 silicon dioxide
Crystal system:
trigonal
Category:
quartz
Color:
from plain through many colours to black
Streak:
white
Transparency:
translucent
Cleavage:
indistinct
Fracture:
conchoidal, uneven
Mohs scale hardeness:
6,5 – 7,0
Specific gravity:
2,55 – 2,7 g/cm³
Major metaphysical healing properties attributed to onyx:
It strengthens teeth and bones, has a beneficial effect on the bone marrow, provides a protective mineral, gives energy, keeps negative entities away.
Zodiacs associated with onyx gemstones:
Onyx is the gemstone of the zodiac sign of Capricorn, Aquarius and Sagittarius.
Click here to read about the general characteristics of horoscopes!
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Use of onyx
It is used to make ornaments, especially jewelry, gemstones.
Occurrence of onyx
Madagascar, India, Brazil, Mexico, Southwest Africa.