This stone combines alternating layers of sard and onyx; hence its name. Sard appears anywhere from a dark orange to red to almost black. Onyx, although thought by most to only appear in black, can appear in almost any color. These two types of the mineral chalcedony are paired in bands to create sardonyx. Sardonyx can be traced back four thousand years to Ancient Egypt. For most of its history, this stone has been used to create cameos and intaglios. In Ancient Rome, women wore sardonyx necklaces with cameos of Venus in hopes of harnessing the power of the goddess of love. It was also common for soldiers to wear sardonyx rings and carvings containing images of Mars, the god of war, into battle as a means of protection. Sardonyx was also a popular stone for Roman seals and signet rings that were used to imprint wax emblems on official documents because hot wax doesn't stick to this stone. The best examples of sardonyx, which display sharp contrasts between the layers, are found in India. Other deposits include Brazil, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Madagascar, Uruguay and the United States. Sardonyx is an agate whose banding is straight and parallel. Much like agate, it is dyed to enhance or change its colors.
Εnergy healing properties:
Used as a stone of strength and protection since ancient times, sardonyx is associated with courage, happiness and clear communication. It brings lasting happiness and stability to marriage and partnerships. The spiritual values of red and white-banded and red sardonyx make these stones particularly powerful. In fact, they are said to allow one to project such an incredible charisma that many people suggest the stone be used with care to avoid overwhelming others. Wear them, they say, when you want extra power in a particular circumstance. Much of the black and white-banded sardonyx's power comes from its association with a particular body type--slender, quick-moving people who are intellectually active. If you're clever, versatile, highly verbal and have an optimistic disposition, those traits may be heightened when you wear black and white-banded sardonyx. Or, you can wear it to help you control one of those traits if it's working against you. Some believe that placing sardonyx at each corner of a house will protect against evil.
Forms:
raw stone (massive), (drilled) tumbled stone, bracelet, necklace, pendant, gem essence and gem water.
