It is believed that the ancient civilizations gave it this name because they resembled the human nail. The word means “claw” and “fingernail” in Greek and Roman. The historical aspect from Greece and the Roman empire is important because that’s where the origin of the word “onyx” came from. Its protective features would help her sense the negative energy and ill-willed people every time that the stone would vibrate.Īside from making handles for golden items, crafters and smiths often used black onyx for certain inlay work. As a result of such a risky life, Cleopatra kept the black onyx close to herself.ĭifferent notes and sources suggest that the black onyx she had on herself would warn her every time she was exposed to danger. It’s no secret that Cleopatra had a lot of enemies and people immensely tried to take her rule down. The stories also suggested that Cleopatra used the Black Onyx so that she could sense who was a loyal servant and who wasn’t. One of those rulers also included Cleopatra which is one of the most known rulers of Egypt, with both controversial and important historical stories. The rulers in ancient Egypt also used onyx for protection and strength. However, its strength-fueling properties changed the beliefs of the ancient Egyptians used it for healing.Īside from that, the Egyptians used this type of stone to make handles for golden items, and carve it into the jewelry. Initially, in Ancient Egypt, the onyx stone was avoided because it was believed to cause detachment and hate between lovers. What’s common for all these countries and kingdoms is that they benefited from using black onyx. Since black onyx has been widespread across different locations in the world, we’ll highlight its history in every notable civilization. There are a lot of its uses and meanings which we’ll detail in the sections below. Its healing effects were mostly tested in improving the bond between lovers who were facing hardships and challenges, while also improving fertility in women. However, over the years, centuries and millennia, civilizations found the strength within it and started using it for its rituals and healing. Additionally, it was believed that it brings misfortune, calamity, and bad luck to lovers.īecause of its black color, it was often believed that the demon imprisoned within the stone would emerge during the night. The demon inside the gemstone was supposedly a culprit for bad crops and reaping season. The black color led to the belief that there is a demon sealed within the gemstone. This belief emerged because of its black color, which could be an indicator of impurity and evil. In the long past, priests and different spirituality practitioners believed that black onyx was a bad omen and discouraged its application through rituals. What Are The History And Origin Of Black Onyx?Īs mentioned earlier, black onyx has been a protective and empowering gemstone for centuries, if not millennia. The purest and most natural forms of natural onyx can be found in South America (Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina.) Also, there are pure forms also found in India. It’s mostly surrounded by other rocks, its fissures, and cracks. Given that black onyx is a type of chalcedony, and has silica materials in it, it’s formed under the low temperatures in water with the wide deposits of silica. It’s worth noting its other types such as Sardonyx and others. Still, it can be found across different places around the world, including Australia, the USA, Canada, Brazil, China, India, Afghanistan Indonesia, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, the UK, Germany, Czech Republic, and other regions across the world. It’s important to note that Onyx is considered a somewhat uncommon gem, which also makes its price higher. It is a type of chalcedony, as mentioned earlier with opaque and translucent transparency. That also makes it a reliable piece of jewelry as it won’t tear that easily. Its hardness level on the Mohs hardness scale is 7, which makes it neither too hard nor too soft of a stone.
That said, black onyx has the parallel colors of black with white stripes. For example, Agate’s bands are curved, while the black onyx has parallel white bands which make it extremely appealing and attractive to have. It is similar to Agate, which is also a type of layered chalcedony.
Onyx is grouped as silicate mineral chalcedony. In this article, we’ll uncover the meaning and uses of black onyx, introduce you to its origin and help you find it at an affordable and reliable price. That, and also its appealing look often attracts people who want it etched on its jewelry, or to keep it as a lucky charm. It has healing, protective and strength-providing properties that make it stand out from other gemstones. Black onyx has often been thought to be the stone of the warriors, for many good reasons.
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