Handmade Gemstone Jewelry - Black onyx history!

 

If you are interested in black onyx jewelry, you probably know that there is white a lot of history behind this gemstone. What with newer and better technology, handmade gemstone jewelry artists have been able to produce a huge variety of different styled bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and rings using black onyx. (Did you know that it was once called Black Diamond.)

In fashion today, black seems to be the favorite color for evening wear as well as many other things. Black onyx jewelry when set with a diamond or pearl is greatly admired because of the stunning contrast between the colors of the materials. Many gemstone are set on a background of black onyx and made into jewelry. Some less valuable varieties of onyx display a combination of white ribbons and stripes. 

The first historical story about onyx is in the Bible were we read that one of the twelve stones(representing the twelve tribes of Israel) on the high priest's ephod was actually a black onxy stone! A few centuries later is was used by the ancient Romans and Greeks who used mainly used such rings as signet rings or just normal rings to show their high standing. There is also a Greek myth behind black onyx jewelry that tells us that the gemstone was named after and came into being when the frisky Cupid cut Venus' fingernails one night as she slept on the sea shore. After cutting them, he threw them on the sand and went away. The fates then came along and turned them into stone because none of the heavenly body was meant to perish. In those days onyx not only referred to a black gemstone up also to any gemstone that was a shade running from a beige brown to a black. When the Romans began to use the gemstone years later, they narrowed the term down to only refer to a black gemstone. 

There is one other variety of onyx called sardonyx. Sardonyx is a redish brown instead of black. It was perfect for seals on letters and was used in Rome because it never stuck to any wax. 

Black onyx gives out such a bright shine that is makes any gemstone with wich it is set with look twice as brilliant. Real onyx has such as smooth and shiny surface this it is very easy for a handmade gemstone jewelry artist to carve it into a gem for a jewelry item.