Black Onyx and Sterling Silver Earrings

Basic black and silver earrings featuring unusual bead shapes for a special look.

Price: $16.00

These onyx and sterling silver earrings will go with any item in your wardrobe. Simple, elegant, and always appropriate. Two Cat Studio's skilled jewelers hand-select each and every gem stone bead for a polished, finished pair of earrings.

What is Onyx?
Onyx is a variety of chalcedony - a microcrystalline type of quartz. Its good hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale makes it ideal for faceting, and when jewelry lovers want a black gem stone, onyx is the most popular choice.

There is something almost magical in the name 'onyx'. It comes from the Greek word for fingernail, which may strike the reader as peculiar, until one understands that onyx comes in many colors besides black, including colorless white.

In ancient Egypt, miners searched the deserts for rare minerals, and the presence of onyx is attested to both by antique texts and much of the jewelry that has been excavated there over the past century. Ancient Egyptians proudly referred to their corner of the world as The Black Land, referring to the dark, rich soil. Perhaps onyx may have symbolized the fertile quality of the earth for them. Jewelry, statues, jars, and religious objects were made of onyx and embellished with pieces of onyx gem stones.

In ancient Rome, ornate rings were a status symbol of choice, and onyx was the gem stone most frequently used in Roman ring making. Jewelers of the day were incredibly skilled, not only in setting the onyx into gold and silver rings, but also in intricately carving figures and symbols into the surface of the onyx.

Today, onyx gem stone jewelry is considered the elegant choice for formal occasions. Because onyx beads and stones have the ability to be so highly polished, their reflectiveness is truly eye-catching. Every woman should own at least one set of onyx jewelry.

Caring for your Onyx Earrings
Opaque gem stones like onyx and turquoise must never be subjected to rigorous ultrasonic cleaning. Rather, simply polish the stones with a lightly dampened, non-abrasive cloth and allow them to air dry before storing them. Store in an individual cloth jewelry bag to prevent scratching of the gem stones. Two Cat Studio would like to show you how to make your own jewelry pouches so that you can own as many as you need to keep your jewelry collection looking its best.