The original birthstone for July is the Ruby, but it is quite rare and very expensive so we’re going to focus on the secondary, more modern July birthstone: Onyx.
Onyx is a type of chalcedony, the same way amethyst is a form of quartz. Onyx and agate are both chalcedony but their differ based on which way the banding forms. Onyx has parallel banding and agate has curved banding.
Different colours of onyx:
- Black onyx - most commonly seen in jewellery
- Brown and white onyx - often called sardonyx
- Red and white onyx - called cornelian onyx
You can find Onyx in most continents and it’s pretty abundant, making it a cheaper option. Black onyx is a bit rarer so can be more expensive than the other colours. It’s even found and mined in some areas of the UK and the US.
Properties:
- Protection
- Strength
- Perseverance
- Absorbs negative energies
- Happiness
- Intuition
Cleopatra was said to wear black onyx to ward off negative energies.
I use black onyx in many of my designs and even have a huge white and brown onyx egg suncatcher which I’ll add photos of below! It’s a beautiful crystal to keep on/around you!
Lauren x
Photos:
- Black jasper keyring with labradorite and black onyx
- Amethyst and black onyx moon earrings
- Onyx egg sun-catcher
- Black onyx crystal chip earrings