One of the most beautiful legends relating to the origin of this stone says that the image of the mineral was "copied" from flowers growing in Eden. Satan himself created it in their image and likeness, hoping that in the future people will desire this gem as much as Eve once wanted to have amazingly beautiful flowers, and such qualities as hatred, cruelty and greed will prevail in the human world. But Satan's calculation turned out to be wrong: instead of wreaking havoc around him, sardonyx has become a stone for many nations, symbolizing good luck and happiness in its purest form.
Signet rings and cameos
In fact, sardonyx is not a separate mineral, but one of the many varieties of carnelian, but I will not focus on the latter now, although it is also very interesting. Sardonyx is mentioned in the Bible under the name "sardis" - according to Pliny the Elder, this name was given to the mineral in honor of the city of Sardis (Lydia, Greece). It is believed that it was there that it was first discovered, but the researchers do not exclude the version that the name appeared in Persia, from where it came along with sardonyx. I prefer the first option, in favor of which many facts speak. So, from Greek the name of the stone is translated as “Sardian stone”. In ancient times, this city was famous for its market, where precious and semi-precious stones of all colors of the rainbow were sold, and from there they were transported to all corners of the world, where many samples were new.since they were first seen there. The same fate befell sardonyx. Very soon it became known in most countries, and in almost all of them it was considered a noble stone. It was appreciated by both “consumers” and craftsmen, as the properties and shades of sardonyx are truly unique. Maybe that's why in many biographies of the powerful of this world there are references to products made from this mineral?
Take, for example, Ptolemy, the ancestor of the famous royal dynasty of Egypt, who at one time was the military leader of Alexander the Great. The famous character everywhere and everywhere, even on military campaigns, carried with him a goblet of sardonyx. According to legend, Ptolemy sincerely believed in the miraculous power of the goblet, considered it the strongest of his talismans, capable of protecting the owner from the influence of poison in any quantity. In addition, drinking from this goblet deprived Ptolemy of the dubious pleasure that was a hangover. Considering the volume of ancient libations, one involuntarily begins to believe in the magical properties of a sardonyx bowl, although evil tongues say that the Greeks and Romans did not drink pure wine, but only strongly diluted it. In theory, from such a drink, the head will hurt even more, but Ptolemy successfully escaped this fate. The heiress of his surname, Queen Cleopatra, also did not deprive the mineral of attention - she was in charge of many jewelry with this stone, and she preferred to store some cosmetics in vessels skillfully carved from sardonyx, in particular, the powder, on the basis of which a paste for eyeliner was made …
The Romans chose rings with sardonyx, and women did not particularly respect them, but men wore them with pleasure. The rings were used not only as an independent decoration, but also as a full-fledged seal. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that neither sealing wax nor wax adhered to the stone, processed in a special way, therefore it is a pleasure to put an impression with such a seal. At least that's how it seems to me. Similar seals came into fashion with the light hand of Scipio Africanus, a Roman military leader. Being not the last figure in the circles of the ancient nobility, Scipio easily instilled in his entourage a love of sardonyx, since he himself, following the example of Ptolemy, sincerely believed that the stone had remarkable magical power.
Naturally, such a love of the population for sardonyx could not go unnoticed for asocial elements, and the counterfeiting of precious and semi-precious stones at all times has been a very profitable business (especially if there is a share of luck and hands grow from where it is required). Therefore, the market for sardonyx has become several times more than was mined. However, do not think that the fake was given to the swindlers for a great life - it was not so easy to make a high-quality “analogue”. To create it, they took several types of ornamental material, for which even on the market day the price was 50 rubles per bucket. Then a plate was turned from each species, and they were glued together, imitating the structure of the original sardonyx. But judging by the number of fakes discovered by archaeologists during excavations in different parts of the world, the business was still quite profitable,and forgeries were in use along with natural stone.
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After the antique period, interest in sardonyx somehow subsided, and its next round fell on the Renaissance. Considering the unusual multi-layered color of the stone and its low cost, it has become a real boon for jewelers. Everything was made from sardonyx, from exquisite jewelry to vases, figurines, bowls and many other items for interior decoration, including furniture decoration. But the main thing for which sardonyx was used at all times is the manufacture of cameos. The cameo, in fact, is an ordinary bas-relief, but with its own share of "unusualness": it is made from several types of stones, creating a pattern from a darker mineral against a light background. Sardonyx, on the other hand, allows you to make cameos from one stone, due to its layering. The result is incredibly beautiful products.
Shades and deposits
I have already mentioned that sardonyx is a type of carnelian. Onyx and agate are considered other close relatives of this mineral, due to which in the literature of scientific interpretation it is sometimes called ribbon agate, or agate onyx. The silicon content in sardonyx sometimes reaches 99%, the rest is accounted for by impurities like iron oxide, which provides the stone with red-orange hues. The other spectrum is due to oxides of other metals and calcium. Due to this composition, sardonyx in most cases does not differ in transparency, but occasionally there are specimens that are visible in depth by about 4 cm, and this is a fairly good indicator. As for the color scheme, it is very diverse, and in particular it will seem attractive to people who prefer warm shades. There are many of them - ranging from light, like beige and soft honey, continuing with brighter yellows, reds and oranges, and ending with dark brown, right up to black. All of them are usually divided into “male” and “female” groups. The first includes minerals with a pronounced striped pattern: there are sharper lines and rich colors. The second group looks more like amber in appearance, as it is represented by delicate shades with smooth color transitions.as it is presented in delicate shades with smooth color transitions.as it is presented in delicate shades with smooth color transitions.
The hardness of sardonyx leaves much to be desired - about seven units on the Mohs scale, and the density is low. Fold one with the other - and we get a bunch of small scratches on the product from contact with something harder, or even chips and cracks from impact. In short, never a diamond. But these same indicators make the stone a favorite material for novice carvers, because sardonyx lends itself perfectly to processing. Judge for yourself - it has been used since time immemorial, and the technologies that modern jewelers possess were not available to the masters then. But even in antiquity, carvers managed to create real masterpieces that have survived to this day and have become a kind of evidence of the art of the past.
Of course, counterfeit sardonyx is sculpted today, but at the same time, natural is being mined. The best deposits are in India and the Arabian Peninsula, South America, Algeria, USA and Egypt. Russia also has its own piece of sardonyx - on the banks of the Kolyma.
Sardonyx in lithotherapy
I will not tire of repeating the phrase of Oleg Seredin: “You smear yourself, you smear yourself with all sorts of rubbish, but I will treat you later.” And it doesn't matter that this character exists only on the pages of books - this does not prevent him from uttering clever thoughts. And indeed, what should move a person so that he, feeling unwell, would begin to crush the quills of the porcupine and mix them in equal proportions with the fried plantain? But there are at least organic ingredients, but lithotherapy still remains a secret for me with seven seals.
Initially, sardonyx, or rather, its powder, formed in the process of making various crafts, found its application among healers as a hemostatic agent. It was literally crushed into flour, sifted to get rid of larger fractions and sprinkled on the wound. It was also used to treat open fractures (apparently, a plaster cast was applied on its basis - my inflamed brain could not think of another option). In a word, this tool is positioned as an excellent way to accelerate tissue regeneration. It also heals the gastrointestinal tract, thyroid gland, and helps restore immunity after a protracted illness.
Lithotherapists are sure that if you wear earrings with sardonyx for a long time, you can get rid of hearing problems, literally using jewelry as a natural alternative to hearing aids. And, by the way, it will not be superfluous to mention the division of “powers” between “male” and “female” stones. It is believed that they have different effects on the body. The former are used to heal wounds, both external and internal, such as stomach ulcers, the latter have established themselves as a tonic and for the treatment of female diseases.
Sardonyx is also popular among the occult brotherhood, which gladly takes him with them as a companion on astral travels. The mineral sharpens the perception of the subtle world, enhances the ability to clairvoyance, and its bright representatives protect their owner from witchcraft. Sardonyx will also come in handy for a person who is far from all these "things", who is not devoid of a share of mysticism, as a shield against damage and the evil eye. People with a fine mental organization, sensitive to criticism and failure, will appreciate the mineral's ability to create a sense of harmony, which helps to overcome temporary troubles more easily and not to fall into prolonged depression. In general, sardonyx contributes to an increase in self-esteem and gives self-confidence, so that with such an assistant you can confidently move towards the goal,not being afraid to take a step in the wrong direction - the stone will protect from false comrades, and add a drop of luck, which is sometimes so lacking to achieve what you want. Sardonyx is also popular among travelers, since since ancient times it has been considered a talisman on a long journey.
Fans of love magic will appreciate the amorous properties of sardonyx: to make the existing union as durable and strong as possible, you need to put a ball made of this mineral in a prominent place at home. It is believed that he brings the missing harmony to the house. Of course, if you yourself do not do anything to strengthen the relationship, then even a hundred balls will not help, so you should not shift all your worries to the stone - it can only help, but not do all the work for you.
The most famous cameo
Images on cameos have always been varied. Now these are mostly portraits of “mysterious strangers”, but there are also landscapes, and, much less often, paired portraits or scenes from myths. Working with one stone is much more convenient than cutting out several layers from different plates and then gluing them together.
The most famous is the cameo Gonzaga (15.7x11.8 cm), named after one of its owners, made in the 3rd century BC. Researchers are inclined to think that the cameo from a three-layer sardonyx depicts one of the Egyptian rulers, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, together with his sister-wife Arsinoe.
The foreground, reddish-brown, depicts the king himself: an unknown master very skillfully carved his portrait, including the smallest details. You can easily distinguish hair, helmet, ornaments in the form of Phobos and Medusa heads, cloak. Immediately behind the male profile - female, light, but slightly darker than the king's face. The master's art has survived the centuries - the cameo traveled from one owner to another, somehow managed to survive, and is now kept in the Hermitage.