The sardonyx gemstone is renowned for its capacity to restore a measure of order and peace to a previously chaotic life. If you ever find yourself lacking clarity and battling to maintain control over your mental and physical world, sardonyx is the stone for you.
Although it is an August birthstone that is most commonly owned by people born in the month, everyone can benefit from the healing gifts of this orange gemstone. Those who harness the subtle yet powerful energies of sardonyx will experience the various spiritual and tangible benefits that it has to offer.
Intrigued? Find out more…
What is Sardonyx?
Sardonyx is a particularly unique and complex stone. It is made of alternating layers of parallel bands of sard and onyx – two variations of layered mineral chalcedony. This composition makes for an exquisite reddish-brown to yellow-red zebra-esque pattern. While it is the original birthstone of August, it is certainly more obscure than its counterparts; peridot and spinel.
Sardonyx is both an accessible and affordable birthstone. Being one of a group of three for the month of August, most reputable crystal and stone shops will stock sardonyx. While being relatively inexpensive, it can also be purchased in the form of jewelry and beads. It is often carved into brooches to delicately distinguish between their layers.
India produces the finest varieties of sardonyx stones which have sharply juxtaposed parallel layers of colour. Uruguay, Brazil, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Germany, the United States, and Madagascar are also known to routinely unearth rich reserves of the sardonyx stone. It measures 6.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness.
What is the Meaning of Sardonyx?
“Sard” refers to the ancient Persian city of Sardis which is now located in present-day Turkey. This is where the red stone was found. “Onyx” is a Greek word that translates to “nail or claw”. The sardonyx gemstone has its roots deep in ancient Egyptian culture. For most of its early life, it was appropriated for the creation of cameos and intaglios.
Women in these ancient societies famously wore jewellery with a cameo of Venus to inspire the invocation of the power harnessed by the goddess of love. Men, on the other hand, would wear rings carved from sardonyx stone and engrave the image of Mars. As a symbol for the god of war, they hoped this would provide them with protection when engaging in battle.
Properties of Sardonyx
Sardonyx is mostly known for its metaphysical properties. More specifically, people are drawn to sardonyx for its potential to bolster your sense of personal power and self-control. It is also associated with feelings of courage, clear communication and joy.
All of the aforementioned properties work together to restore stability and happiness to every sphere of your life. These subtle yet noticeable shifts are particularly useful when channelled to repair, heal, and strengthen relationships.
When you are capable of harnessing the power of mental discipline, motivation, and willpower you will strengthen your character and thus become a more resilient and well-rounded individual. A single sardonyx stone is said to bless its owner with a potent dose of charisma that is guaranteed to make you a magnet for new and meaningful connections. Wearing sardonyx will grant you some extra power and luck in your particular circumstance. Its composition of paralleled red and white layers with a central deep-red eye contributes to its efficacy as a powerful and transformative birthstone.
Sardonyx Stone Benefits and Uses
Every individual gemstone has an exclusive set of therapeutic benefits and practical applications. When used incorrectly, you can undermine the efficacy of these natural healing elements. The way in which you use a sardonyx stone depends primarily on the spheres of your life which you feel require attention.
As has been previously mentioned, this gemstone is most valuable when its power is harnessed in situations that require immense reserves of perseverance and willpower. This may be a pressing work or university deadline, an addiction-related issue, maintaining healthy habits in an attempt to improve your mental health, or the resolution of relationship or family issues.
You may use a sardonyx gemstone to work with your earth star chakra – the chakra that connects most closely to your personal energies. When it is out of balance you tend to feel disconnected from your environment and the people around you. This severs your connection to the divine and results in feelings of anxiety and a lack of self-discipline.
Many choose to work with their base chakra when tapping into the energetic healing properties of their sardonyx gemstone. When your base chakra is out of alignment you might experience the symptoms of ADD or ADHD. This also tends to aggravate feelings of irritability while eroding your sense of compassion. Using a sardonyx to realign your chakras and in turn, your life, is an invaluable practice in self-care and personal growth.
How to Tell if Sardonyx is Real
Sardonyx is a wonderful gift to either yourself or a friend that was born in August. It is a slightly more unique alternative to the other birthstones of the month – peridot and spinel. There is, however, little point in opting for this lesser-known gemstone if it is a fake. The production of artificial sardonyx dates back to Roman times. A convincing copy can be produced from normal agate and common chalcedony.
Unlike diamonds, the quality of a sardonyx stone cannot be clearly determined. Consulting a reputable jewelry establishment such as the American Gem Society is the greatest guarantee you can get when wanting to purchase any authentic gemstone.
If, however, you are unable to consult a professional, we recommend that you stick to the ‘four Cs’ when attempting to establish the authenticity of your sardonyx gemstone. Cut, clarity, colour, and carat weight are the four categories to consider in the inspection process. The most aesthetically pleasing, and likely most valuable, are those that boast a sharp contrast between the reddish bands of sard stone and the white layers of onyx.