Onyx Stone

Rocks are an integral part of human life history. From the construction of sculptures to the facades and luxurious floors of buildings, stones have been used. In Iran, the stone produced from aragonite is called onyx and the brand of its colored varieties is onyx. But what are the features and capabilities of onyx that are so popular?

Onyx and how it is formed

In general, calcite is a translucent, layered, and latent crystal with colors, especially yellow, brown, or green. Onyx is composed of slow settling in cold bicarbonate solutions (saturated with carbon dioxide) of water.

Onyx is derived from the Greek word marmoros meaning pearl, which in various sources also means brilliant.

Why is the onyx used?

Onyx is one of the stones that cools its environment and does not retain heat. Also, its presence in the environment causes relaxation.

Examples of the use of onyx in sculpture. Due to the high resistance of the stone to impact and physical changes, ancient sculptures of that material remain. The amazing properties of this stone against fire caused many Roman aristocrats and even Indian aristocrats to build their houses from onyx to be fire-resistant.

Properties of onyx

Onyx is a decorative stone and at the same time, it is very expensive. In most onyx mines, colors and a variety of interior shapes can be seen a lot. This stone can be seen in Iran in a variety of colors, including green, lemon, amber yellow, milky white, dark honey, and brown.

Another attractive feature of onyx is the presence of traces of impurities in a variety of colors. These impurities are the result of clay, iron, and quartz. The color of these impurities and their degree of variability depends on the concentration of the impurity itself. For example, the more iron impurities, the more red streaks turn brown.

Onyx is a stone with a strong crystalline structure and low porosity or permeability. The low porosity of this stone has made it less exposed to water damage during the performed processes.

This stone shows good resistance to climate change.

It has high sub-flexibility and can be well-coordinated with any decoration

Onyx applications

In the past, healers (people who used to treat diseases with herbs) believed that onyx kills evil forces. It has also been used to invigorate and create a sense of calm.

Onyx is used in old buildings that are still standing after 100 years. This stone has a smooth and polished surface. Besides, it is very resistant to climate change and temperature changes.

Different colors such as white and black are used in luxury buildings. But green is used to create a sense of calm in religious places.

How to maintain onyx

In today’s architecture, onyx is used in the following cases:

1: Exterior of the building

2: The use of onyx in the construction of cabinets

3: Used to make onyx sinks

4: Making onyx kitchen countertops

5: Construction of onyx wall base

6: Floor covering

7: Interior wall covering

8: Construction of stairs using onyx

9: Use for honey table

10: Use as a toilet stone or bathtub

11: Making decorative sculptures

In each of these areas of your onyx home, you must use a separate method to care for and clean the stone.

In the exterior that does not need to be cleaned. But in all interior parts, you must remember that the stone may be scratched, so do not use a vacuum cleaner to clean it.

If the stone is in your bathroom, toilet, or kitchen, you should never use strong detergents such as bleach to clean it.

The only safe and correct way to clean onyx is to spray some lukewarm water on it and wipe it with a cotton cloth. If you see grease stains on it, you can eat soap and dissolve it in boiling water, then spray on the parts that you think are dirty. Then spray lukewarm water and dry with a soft cloth and full cotton.

Types of onyx

Onyx stones have different names according to their origin. Among the most famous onyx stones that are very popular in Iran, the following can be mentioned.

White onyx of Kerman
Honey onyx
Pink onyx
Cappuccino onyx
Blue onyx
Urmia onyx
White striped onyx
May onyx

Kerman onyx

Kerman is one of the most important sources of onyx extraction. Different types of onyx are found in Kerman onyx mines.

This stone has a wide range of colors, but bright colors such as white and green are more common. Kerman white onyx is one of the most expensive and at the same time the most popular onyx.

This stone has golden veins and is used to make exteriors, floors, bathtubs, and walls of bathrooms and toilets.

This stone is resistant to thermal and climatic changes and can be used for many years.

Onyx Meymeh

Meymeh onyx is extracted from the functions of Meymeh city. The mine of this region, which is called Takht-e-sorkh-Moteh, is more than 60 years old and is one of the oldest onyx mines in Iran. Also called onyx pearl onyx. Meymeh onyx has green and cream colors in which red streaks can be seen.

Pink onyx

Pink onyx is one of the most beautiful and special onyxes in the world. This very rare stone is found in nature with dark and light themes. Pink onyx is hydrated due to the presence of iron oxide. This stone is polished and used to decorate the lobby floor of luxury hotels, bathrooms, and interior decoration.

Blue onyx

The blue theme is one of the most special and stylish themes that can be used in special buildings. There are blue onyxes with a light gray theme and irregular streaks of white and gold in nature. Due to its rarity, this stone can be found only in very luxurious buildings of the world.

Cappuccino onyx

Cappuccino onyx has special waves and breakers. The stone takes its name from the cappuccino color combined with white. The polished surface and special waves of this stone make it suitable for luxury bathrooms. This stone is mostly used for the production of bathtubs or floors and walls of bathrooms and kitchens.