Onyx is a semi precious quartz stone. It can be almost any color, ranging from white to black. Onyx is usually formed in lava deposits, inside of natural gas pockets. The crystals form inside the actual gas pocket where they stay until they are revealed once the lava rock is opened. Onyx is normally made from several different layers, with black onyx having threads of white running parallel through them. Due to the layered nature of onyx, it is often used to produce cameos, pendants and onyx rings. The onyx stone, once extracted from the rock, is usually cut to shape and then highly polished, giving the resultant stone a smooth, black finish. Most of the onyx used in jewelry today comes from Brazil, although there are also significant quantities found in India, parts of the United States, and Madagascar.
Black onyx is a long time favorite to use when designing jewelry, though as it is somewhat translucent it is often dyed, or subjected to heat treatment so that it becomes a darker black than is naturally found. While treating other stones can sometimes lessen their value, this commonplace treatment of onyx does not lessen the original value of the stone in any way. Onyx has a six point five ranking on the Mohs scale and as such, it is not considered to be a very hard stone. Consequently, it tends to scratch easily and will chip if anything hits it with any force. Therefore, it is more suited to wear as a pendant or in decorative jewelry, rather than in rings that are worn every day. As with other softer stones, care must be taken to remove any black onyx rings whenever you are gardening, doing carpentry work or playing any sports. Rings that are going to be worn every day, such as a man’s signet ring, should be designed in such a way that the onyx stone itself is protected as much as possible from rubbing against any other surfaces.
Onyx has been used as a stone set in rings for centuries, with the famous sealing of documents with wax in earlier centuries done by pressing a signet ring into the melted wax. Signet rings today are still often set with a black onyx stone, and are used not only as decorative jewelry but also often as a sign that a person belongs to an institution or fraternity. A black onyx ring is very versatile, it can be worn with a casual outfit, or dress up evening wear equally as well. This classic stone is one of the few that can be worn on any occasion.
Onyx is often set in silver or white gold, as the stark contrast between the colors enhances the stone. Silver onyx rings either have the stone set into the head of the ring, or are slightly raised from the head of the ring. It is usually recommended to set the stone into the ring as that helps to provide an added level of protection for this somewhat fragile stone. It looks equally as elegant when set in gold, with a favorite set being to have the black onyx surrounded by tiny diamonds or cubic zirconia. There are many different mens onyx ring styles, with some being very plain in nature while others are patterned or placed in a more decorative setting.
Whereas many other jewelry types tend to come and go depending on fashion, mens onyx rings have withstood the test of time. Black onyx has a history that dates back to the early Roman days, and possibly before. While it has been a mainstay in men’s jewelry since those times, it has also had resurgences of popularity at different times over the centuries. Notably, during the reign of Queen Victoria it was a very popular stone amongst both men and women. When Queen Victoria’s husband died in the mid 1800’s, Queen Victoria declared that she would remain in mourning for the remainder of her days. Those days royalty set fashion trends much as the music and movie industries do today. After her pronouncement, everyone started to wear mourning jewelry almost exclusively. Colorful gems and gaudy jewelry was banished, and the more somber and refined onyx came into its own. A similar situation occurred during the American Civil war, as with the loss of many lives mourning jewelry featured a revival.
These days the black onyx ring is not associated with mourning but rather with class and high fashion. Mens onyx ring designs are classic with the rings often paired with onyx cuff links and tie pins. Onyx rings are not only designed for men either. There are many classically designed women’s onyx rings, onyx earrings and onyx pendants available. The great thing about black onyx is that it will literally match with any outfit worn, thus it can be worn on any occasion. It truly is one of jewelry’s classic stones.