In his encyclopedia Naturalis Historia the ancient Roman author and naturalist Pliny the Elder speaks at length about techniques used to change the colour of one gemstone to make it look like another. In one respected gemstone reference it's stated in order to achieve the black colour stones are soaked in sugar or honey before being treated with sulphuric acid. Throughout history the vast majority of black onyx has been dyed. Most black onyx is either black agate or black chalcedony. It may also be a single coloured agate with alternating shades of light and darker coloured bands.Īlthough onyx and agate are both varieties of chalcedony, the main difference is the bands in onyx are parallel whereas in agate they're curved. With regards to colour, onyx is a black and white banded variety of the mineral agate. In the vast majority of cases it's used incorrectly.
Onyx is a natural mineral used for a wide variety of purposes.Īs well as for gemstones onyx is used for fireplace surrounds, household furniture and a wide array of ornaments.Ī great deal of confusion exists regarding the correct use of the name "onyx". Having seen an outcropping on the side of a hill near Big Bug Creek, he set up an onyx quarry business with Al and George McCann and William O’Neill, a one-time mayor of Prescott and member of Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War.Onyx Stone Meaning and Healing Properties Contents O’Neill paid $150 for his one-third share of the mine, and shortly thereafter discovered that the site had “the richest deposit of onyx between Prescott, AZ and Puebla, Mexico” - according to historical documents.Īccording to an article in a 1918 issue of Yavapai Magazine, Joe Mayer settled in the area, a stagecoach stop between Phoenix and Prescott, in the late 1800s. One of the first speculators on the site was a man by the name of William “ Bucky” O’Neill, a lawyer, miner, cowboy, sheriff and congressman who was one of Teddy Roosevelt’s “Rough Riders” during the Spanish-American War. The Arizona Onyx Quarries lies along Big Bug Creek in Mayer, an old cowboy town about 75 miles northeast of Phoenix that is approx. The Quarry’s history is as colorful as the onyx itself. Testing has proven that the quarry contains well over a million tons of High Grade Onyx. In 2003, extensive testing suggested that the deposits were in excellent condition for quarrying. is the worlds only supplier of Grand Canyon and Black Canyon Onyx. Each layer reflects the sediment left when water flowed in and out of the area. It takes about 1 million years to create a foot of the stone. Over time, the earth’s movements exert stresses on the stone, resulting in cracks or fissures that in turn produce the visible veins of color.Īrizona Onyx comes in two varieties: Grand Canyon Onyx, with layers of brown, red, white and green, andīlack Canyon Onyx, in black, gray, amber and white. a stone so spectacular, history drowns in its unique hues of desert blush, ridges of amber and veins of jade green.Īs the crown jewel of the marble family, onyx is formed as a mixture of clay, carbonates and other minerals which have been transformed under intense pressure and heat deep inside the earth. From the Deserts of the American Southwest.
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