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In this modern age, onyx jewelry is popular for their shiny monotone colors in different hues. However, in the time of the Ancient Greeks, this was hardly the case. It was named onychion, which is the term for fingernail. It is a generic term for stones such as agate, onyx and sardonyx. Since then, we have shortened the age old name and made some terms more specific. It was called the fingernail because of the many bands of white, beige and brown bands that go all over the stone.
In the Victorian era, onyx jewelry was the staple in every woman's closet. It was made popular by Queen Victora, who mourned the loss of her husband. To have the people grieve with her, she banned the use of any other colour except black for forty years.
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Onyx made the transition from a simple banded stone to a full fledged monochrome gem in the mid-nineteenth century, when the demand started getting higher. However, initially, people didn't flock to buy onyx rings and necklaces just because they wanted it. It was actually a substitute for more expensive stone, black amber. Nevertheless, this large demand for the black gem made black onyx jewelry a popular choice for people everywhere. Since then, the popularity of this one of a kind stone has been increasing. It was then that they developed dye colouring for those who want to have painted gemstones. They used the sugar acid gemstone enhancement process. It uses sugar and some water to soak the stone and gem. They are left for around three weeks. Then, without drying into very concentrated and dangerous sulphuric acid, it would be heated for about an hour and a half. The sulphuric acid will successfully suck out any of the sugar. This will leave behind black, simple gemstone. Today, some use a less permanent kind of dying. Although they are not at all a hassle to do, it doesn't really last that well. It involves a cobalt solution, in which the stones are immersed then heated.
Because of the nature of black onyx jewelry, you should always separate pieces from each other so that they are not scratched. Also, you should not soak the black onyx in water or any other liquid for that matter. This might cause the dye on the onyx jewelry to leak and you don't want the colour of the onyx jewelry to fade away. If there are scratches, you can buff that out using jewelry polish and a cloth. You can also seal your gemstones using olive oil so that it doesn't get scratched as easily. Also, never wear your black onyx while exercising. Dirt and sweat while you are exercising could cause some build-up in the stone, affecting the lustre and brilliance of the black onyx jewelry.
Perhaps the Greeks had no idea dyed onyx even existed. Most people believe that this started with the Romans, and was practiced until it was developed. We still use their technology today.
