Good Morning. Just a quick reminder about the Team Venus Tophatter Auction that will be starting this morning around T - 6 hrs 30 m (lol just like saying it that way it starts around 9 am Pacific Time) I hope you can at least stop by and check out all the amazing goodies they are offering at a very low starting bid at http://tophatter.com/auctions/3562 I already have my eye on about 10 different things! Here is just a very brief snapshot of the 100+ items that are entered into the auction.
Our Gem for this beautiful Saturday is Onyx. I used absolutely love black Onyx as a teen but never realized that it came in so many different colors. Shades range from white – gray – black and cream colored - tan – brown. Onyx is porous so it can take on dye easily and can be colored many variations. It is most commonly seen in black.
Onyx is a Chalcedony quartz and is a microcrystalline (meaning it has very tiny crystals) and is botryoidally or mammillary shaped. Onyx is made from a silicate solution that slowly fills the spaces and cavities usually in low temperatures the gradual time gives it layers and the banded look. It is often used in making carvings like cameos because of the layered colored can give most art pieces a striking look.
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| These beautiful Vintage Cameo Earrings can be purchased from Etsy Shop CamanoIslandVintage at http://www.etsy.com/shop/CamanoIslandVintage |
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| These are great examples of Raw Black Onyx and can be purchased from ETSY shop KKGemStones at http://www.etsy.com/shop/kkgemstones |
I love the look of onyx and any of the banded agates and
chalcedony. They always have their own
hidden shapes often resembling other things.
It is fun to look at the patterns from a cross piece and find land or
seascapes sometimes even silhouettes of animals and flowers in the beautiful bands.
Here are some wonderful collections of Onyx and items made
from Onyx:
