December birthstone, “Onyx” is the mystical gemstone, loved by people for a long time. It is the 7th and 10th year anniversary gemstone and also the “Leo” birthstone. It got its name from the Greek word “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 cutting his nails and some of them fell into the river and onto the ground. In order to immortalize the remains of this heavenly body, these nails were turned into stones and came to be known as Onyx!

Onyx stone belongs to the chalcedony quartz family and has a smooth, waxy sheen. It is a dark form of agate stone. These stones are silica deposits from volcanic eruptions and may show colored streaks on their outer surface. Some onyx stones show 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 US. 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 layered variety of onyx is primarily used in prints where the layers exhibit an interesting appearance.

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”, an embossed 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, soldiers in ancient times used to carry onyx with them to protect themselves from wounds and damage in battle. The Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio was famous for wearing a lot of sardonyx.

Black onyx is widely used in jewelry due to its low cost and potential to make 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 pairs best with yellow gold. Attractive jewelry is made from this combination of black and yellow. Rings, pendants, earrings, when studded with onyx gemstones, they highlight the best piece of jewelry.

Onyx maintenance is very simple. Avoid taking this gemstone to places with extreme weather conditions such as too hot or too cold. It can be thoroughly cleaned with a soft, damp cloth, should not be exposed to harsh chemicals, and should be stored in a cool, dry place.