| Agate : Agate is the birthstone of June. No | | | | Onyx : Onyx was very popular with the ancient |
| gemstone is more creatively striped by Nature | | | | Greeks and Romans. The name comes from the |
| than agate, chalcedony quartz that forms in | | | | Greek word 'onyx', which means nail or claw. The |
| concentric layers in a wide variety of colours and | | | | story is that one day the frisky Cupid cut the |
| textures. Each individual agate forms by filling a | | | | divine fingernails of Venus with an arrowhead |
| cavity in host rock. As a result, agate is often | | | | while she was sleeping. He left the clippings |
| found as a round nodule, with concentric bands | | | | scattered on the sand and the fates turned them |
| like the rings of a tree trunk. The bands | | | | into stone so that no part of the heavenly body |
| sometimes look like eyes, fanciful scallops, or | | | | would ever perish. Onyx which is reddish brown |
| even a landscape with trees. Agate was highly | | | | and white is known as sardonyx. Sardonyx was |
| valued as a talisman or amulet in ancient times. It | | | | highly valued in Rome, especially for seals, |
| was said to quench thirst and protect against | | | | because it was said never to stick to the wax. |
| fever. Persian magicians used agate to divert | | | | The Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio was |
| storms. | | | | known for wearing it a good deal. |