Onyx itself is a variety of striped chalcedony that is made up of alternating broad, flat bands of black and white. Onyx differs from other agate in the fact that the bands of which it is formed are parallel and regularly spaced. If the specimen of onyx is brown and white, it is called Sardonyx. If it’s red and white, then this onyx is called Carnelian Onyx. When the specimen is black throughout the bands, then it is called Black Onyx. Black onyx can be natural or dyed and has been valued by the Greeks and Romans, used in India to ward off the “evil eye” and used as a worry stone in the Middle East. Onyx can be found in Uruguay, Germany, Canada and the U.S. It is said to eliminate apathy, stress, negative thinking, and help with public speaking.
