Black onyx is associated with the base chakra and grounding in crystal healing. Onyx is a stone of  happiness, good fortune and strength.

1.      It is a great healing stone for people who are off with the fairies as it brings focus and grounding making it easier to remain in this realm.

      2.     It is thought to bring strength, balance and self control.

      3.    It is perfect for people under extreme mental or emotional stress.

      4.    It brings balance to mind or body as well as a sense of security.

      5.    It is also said to decrease sexual desire, so don’t leave it in the bedroom, unless of course that’s what you’re after!

      6.    It can also support and assist in changing bad habits and addictions.An empowering stone that can help you approach a lesson or task with self-confidence.

      7.    In healing and psychic work it is said that it retains the story of the wearer.

      8.    In India, Gemologists recommend Onyx as a protective measure for harmonious relationships.

      9.    Indians and Persians believed that wearing onyx protected them from the evil eye, and that placing on the stomach of a pregnant woman in labor would reduce the labor pain and bring on earlier delivery.

    10.    Onyx is the birthstone for Leos and the anniversary gemstone for the 7th year of marriage and is the anniversary gemstone for the 10th year of marriage.

The myth of the origin of onyx says that the goddess Venus was resting on the banks of the Indus River. As she slept, Cupid used the point of one of his enchanted arrows to give her a manicure. The parings of her nails then fell into the waters of the sacred river. Since the nails were of heavenly origin, they sank to the river bottom and were metamorphosed into onyx.

The best way to clean an onyx is to wipe it clean with a moist cloth. It is not recommended to use any sort of ultrasonic cleaners or ammonia as the stones may be porous and therefore might absorb chemicals, even soap, which can build up inside the stone, causing discoloration.

Onyx seals were very popular with the Romans, who carved the pattern of the seal in negative relief to give a raised point. They often used stones with several layers, each of a different color, which were then individually carved to produce a different pattern each year. They originally used the onyx name for a variety of marble having white and yellow veins. Onyx is the Greek word for “claw” or “fingernail” because these veins resemble the colors of a fingernail. The marble is still called “onyx marble,” being less valuable and softer than onyx which has a hardness rating of 7. Onyx was also traditionally used for carving cameo brooches.