For its dramatic beauty, durability, and inexpensive price, a jewelry maker can't go wrong with white or black onyx. According to Wikipedia, onyx is a form of quartz that is made up of such tiny crystals that they are only visible beneath a microscope. [1] (COPYRIGHT: I'm so sorry to have to put this here, but I've had trouble with online content theft. Readers are welcome to print my articles for their personal use, but I do not allow my text or photos to be copied to anyone's online site. No one may use my content without written permission from me.)
Also, according to Wikipedia, true onyx is both less common and of a harder consistency than the banded calcite commonly labeled as onyx, which is carved into figurines and beads and sold in Mexico, among other places. [2] The "onyx" materials we work with in jewelry-making are probably really banded calcite, but don't worry about it. They look great and hold up well in our beaded creations.
In the photo to the right, you can see two black onyx beads and two white onyx beads resting upon a silver coin. I've thrown in a gold ring as well so you can see how both white and black onyx looks next to silver and gold. In my opinion, white onyx looks good with both silver and gold, but black onyx looks better with silver. Notice how the white onyx beads show some subtle banding.
Black onyx looks almost as shiny as liquid, resembling a bubble of pure ink. Black onyx beads are very easy to find in both small and large sizes. You can get them round, faceted, round and faceted, and even in more unusual shapes such as teardrop or in thin squares drilled at both ends to be strung as beads.
You can even get black onyx beads carved into little animal shapes like Zuni fetish beads. It can be complemented by beads made from the similarly shiny gemstone, snowflake-obsidian. Snowflake-obsidian has streaks of white that form a striking contrast to its black background. Meanwhile, black onyx with its opaque appearance, which seems to absorb light, pairs well with other opaque gemstones with high-contrast colors.
Try bright blue turquoise or bright red coral. Avoid the more translucent gemstones such as jade or amber because they will look drab next to black onyx, which will seem to suck away their light and warmth. As for jewelry findings, try silver for clasps and links. Gold is fine, too, but silver can be really high-contrast and striking. I think black onyx beads work especially well to accent chainmail jewelry.
White onyx is also shiny and ranges in appearance from milky-white to half-translucent white to delicate ivory. It is often carved into cameo jewelry. [3] Beads of white onyx can be complemented by the similarly milky gemstone pearl. Pearls and white onyx both have a warm glow. Try pairing them with other semi-translucent gemstones such as jade, carnelian, and amber.
Never underestimate the dramatic possibilities of black onyx beads and white onyx beads paired with each other. You can achieve some striking "chessboard" looks by alternating the two colors.
References:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onyx . Retrieved 11/22/10
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onyx . Retrieved 11/22/10
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameo_(carving) . Retrieved 11/22/10
