The Second of August’s Birthstones is Sardonyx.

The second of August’s birthstones is the sardonyx. 

Amulets made of sardonyx were carried  by ancient Greeks and Romans soldiers into battle to bring them courage and victory. These amulets were often engraved with images of heroes such as Mars or Hercules.

 Similar to in ancient times, sardonyx is still handcrafted by masters to craft fine-looking cameos with carved raised figures. Intaglios are crafted in the reverse of cameos. Cameos and intaglios are works of art with lasting beauty.

 

The carving of cameos is a traditional art passed on from the Greeks to the Romans and is still flourishing today. It takes a five to six year apprenticeship to become  a master artisan. Each precious cameo is a unique hand- crafted piece of jewellery of lasting beauty. Cameos usually depict Roman or Greek Goddesses, heroes or princesses.

 

 Sardonyx is a form of onyx and is associated with the root chakra.  Onyx fosters spiritual inspiration, controls emotions and passions as well as eliminates negative thoughts, apathy, stress and grief.  It promotes wise decision making, and encourages happiness and good fortune.  Its healing powers are associated with disorders of the heart, kidney, nerve, capillary, hair, eye as well as with neurological disorders and it can be used as a nail strengthener.

 

 Sardonyx is differentiated from onyx by attractive layers of sard or reddish brown and white banding. Onyx is a banded variety of chalcedony but its bands are parallel to each another, as opposed to the more hap hazard banding found in agates. 

 Black onyx is perhaps the most famous variety of onyx, but the black is not as common as onyx with colored bands. Since ancient times, onyx has been treated artificially to produce both the black color in black onyx, and the reds and yellows in sardonyx. Most black onyx on the market is, in actual fact, artificially colored,

Cameos and intaglios made from sardonyx are made into beautiful jewellery pieces. They make ideal gifts and are of course one of August's birthstones. 

Wear a sardonyx or for thee,
No conjugal felicity;
The August-born without this stone,
`Tis said, must live unloved and lone