sardonyx
/ˈsɑːdənɪks
/noun [mass noun]
Onyx in which white layers alternate with sard.Early cameos are carved from hardstones such as onyx, sardonyx, or agate, while later a number of less expensive substances were used that were also easier to carve....
- Stones and metals fall under the rulership of planets, not signs, but through its association with Mercury, Virgo is often linked with agate, sardonyx and stones of diverse colours.
- For example, the dragon serving as a handle to a lapis lazuli cup was borrowed from a sardonyx cup in the Louvre, embellished in about 1630 by a mount attributed to a Parisian goldsmith.
Origin
Middle English: via Latin from Greek sardonux, probably from sardios 'sardius' + onux 'onyx'.