Onyx Decorating – Care, Maintenance, and Information About the Stone
In decorating terms Onyx is a semi precious material, a form of marble that can take a high polish, featuring unique swirls of pattern and color which dance across its smooth face. One property that gives onyx a truly unique personality is that it has a translucent property, allowing light to actually pass through the stone and come out on the other side.
Onyx Stone is primarily quarried in two places, the Himalayan Mountains, and certain regions of Mexico. The Mexican material tends to be a deep amber color, often featuring unique striation patterns that run perpendicularly down the face of the stone. The Asian version tends to be less patterned, with the soft amber color flowing with an unbroken perfection over the face of the stone.
One of the interesting things about onyx is its personality. The material is formed by nature, slowly evolving from a chaotic mix of chemical factors and enormous pressure. The end result is that each and every piece is a one of a kind, with different features flowing across the face of each and every stone.
In general onyx tends to run a range of colors, going from a deep amber glow, to a soft, white, milky appearance. In many pieces you will find a variety of other hues popping up in the face of the piece, including hazy reds, soft orange, and even the occasional stripe of green. The nature of the colors is determined by the chemical mix that was present when the stone formed.
One important thing to note is that decorative onyx is a form of marble, and so should never be cleaned using any sort of acidic agent. This is because marble is a base in an acid base relationship. When it comes into contact with acidic substances, a reaction occurs, which can take the form of an unpleasant discoloration in the face of the material.
Onyx is a beautiful material that can be carved and polished into an enormous variety of interesting products. Clocks, chess sets, lamps, jewelry boxes, vases, you name a decorative item and chances are there is an all onyx version of it out there. While it can add beauty and elegance to your home, it’s also important to note that it does require some extra care when cleaning it off, and so paying attention to these rules will help you to maintain the beauty of the pieces, and your environment for years to come.
The translucent property of Onyx has allowed us to develop a line of unique onyx lamps, which actually glow from the inside, causing the stone to come alive with illumination, even as they gently light up your home. The author of this article is stone expert and artist Jim Slate.
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