Onyx
This name is often erroneously applied to the alabaster, calcite and
aragonite used in the manufacture of souvenirs and other ornamental
objects sold throughout the tourist centres of the Mediterranean. True
onyx is simply a black and white banded variety of quartz allied to
agate. These bands being straight and parallel, onyx is sometimes
known as "zebra agate" or, if the stone is completely black,
"black agate". During the 1950s it was very popular as a
stone for men's signet rings. It is now used for intaglios and cameos,
necklaces and small pieces of jewelry.
It has a very wide provenance, being found wherever there is quartz.
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