Sardonyx: Meanings, Healing Properties, and Uses
Sardonyx, an exquisite type of agate, is distinguished by its eye-catching parallel bands that generally weave together layers of black and white or green onyx stones with those made from red or brown sard. It is a gemstone that is known for its capacity to restore means of peace and order to a previously tumultuous life. Sardonyx gemstone is a beneficial stone that can provide clarity in your life and help you maintain control over your mental and physical world.
Sardonyx stones are formed by the combination of alternating layers of sard and onyx, which are two variations of layered mineral chalcedony, and this is where it gets its name and from. The name sardonyx is a combination of the words "sard" and "onyx." The word sard comes from the ancient Persian city of Sardis (located in present day Turkey), which means red, and from the Greek word onyx, which means vein or stripe.
Sardonyx gemstone is often used in jewelry and as a decorative stone, is said to have healing properties, and is associated with strength, integrity, and willpower. Sardonyx can be found worldwide, in places like Brazil, India, Uruguay, and certain parts of the USA (California & Arizona).
Sardonyx Meaning and Symbolism
Meaning of Sardonyx Stone
Sardonyx is a layered mineral chalcedony which is a stone of lasting happiness. This gemstone is considered a protective stone in many cultures and is also said to have a calming effect and promote inner strength and confidence. This stone can bring stability in relationships and help people be more honest with themselves and be more in touch with their inner selves. Sardonyx gemstones can also be very beneficial for those who are in the process of making important decisions in their lives.
Sardonyx Stone Meaning in Legends
In ancient legends, Sardonyx stones were believed to have protective and strengthening properties. It was used as a talisman and amulet for warriors and was believed to protect them during battles. Sardonyx was believed to be a stone of protection against lies and deceit and could help the bearer of this stone communicate effectively. According to legends, sardonyx was believed to be associated with Aphrodite, who is the Greek goddess of love and beauty, and was often used in love spells and rituals.
Sardonyx Stone Meaning as Birthstone
Sardonyx is considered a birthstone for August, making it an excellent gift for those born during this month. Even though sardonyx is an August birthstone and is most commonly owned by people born in the month, others can also benefit from the healing properties of this beautiful onyx.
This gemstone brings good luck and happiness to those who wear it. It is a protection stone that helps the bearer overcome fear and anxiety. It is also very beneficial for people in the public eye, such as actors and politicians, as it helps them communicate effectively and persuasively.
Sardonyx Stone Symbolism
Sardonyx is a gemstone that can guide you with courage and stability in your relationships and brings lasting happiness. This powerful grounding stone protects you against negative energies and helps to balance the yin and yang energies. Sardonyx also protects the wearer from lies and deception.
Sardonyx Stone Zodiac Sign
Sardonyx is traditionally an August birthstone and corresponds to the Zodiac Leo. Apart from this, it is also associated with the zodiacs Aries and Virgo. Sardonyx crystals generally have black bandings and are more effective when partnered with white. The Base Chakra is associated with the color Black, which provides a protective, calming and grounding effect and activates and strengthens the body's magnetic energy.
Sardonyx Healing Benefits and Properties
| Physical | Properties |
|---|---|
| Origin | Germany, Brazil, USA, and Russia. |
| Names Used | Sardinian Onyx |
| Is it Mineral? | yes |
| Color | White or Gray, Black, Red, Brown, Orange |
| Streak | Black, Brown, White/ Clear, and Red |
| Luster | Waxy |
| Diaphaneity (Transparency) | Translucent, Opaque |
| Cleavage | Poor |
| Tenacity | Very brittle |
| Density (Weight) | 2.6 |
| Diagnostic Properties | Conchoidal |
| Chemical Composition | Silicon Dioxide |
| Chemical Classification | Silicate |
| Crystal (System) Structure | Trigonal |
| Common Uses | Jewelry, carving material for sculptures, plates, and trinkets. |
| Occurrence | Sardonyx can be found in the Lake Superior region and in Oregon. |
| Hardness (Mohs Hardness) | 6.5 - 7 |
| Optical Properties (Refractive Index) | 1.530 to 1.543 |
Physical Healing Properties
Physical Sardonyx therapeutic properties are plentiful. Sardonyx stones are believed to have physical healing properties in crystal healing and alternative medicine. It cleanses the whole physical body of blockages and impurities that occurs due to parasites of all kinds, septicemia, HIV and AIDS. These crystals can help invigorate the sensory organs, especially sight and hearing.
Metaphysical healers often use sardonyx stones to help improve digestive and eliminative systems and regulate the immune system. These crystals help strengthen the bones and teeth, improve stamina, boost energy levels, and relieve stress and anxiety. Sardonyx is a very effective antidepressant and also helps with impotence and sterility. Even though sardonyx therapeutic properties are very beneficial, it is essential to understand that these benefits have not been proven scientifically and should not be used as an alternative for professional medical advice.
Emotional Healing Properties
Sardonyx stones are filled with natural healing elements. The healing properties of this gemstone make it an excellent crystal to own while dealing with emotional turmoil. Sardonyx is a stone of protection, strength, and good fortunes. This stone attracts friends and lovers and is an excellent stone for happy and healthy marriages. This stone brings lasting happiness to you and gives you stability in partnerships. This stone also promotes virtuous conduct and integrity while strengthening your character and enhancing willpower. Sardonyx also helps you eliminate your fear and phobias and breeds courage.
Spiritual Healing Properties
Sardonyx is a gemstone that has excellent spiritual healing properties. Its grounding and stabilizing properties inspire you to create a meaningful existence actively. This gemstone will provide you with emotional, mental, and spiritual satisfaction, and as a result, it promotes inner peace and tranquility.
Wearing sardonyx allows you to improve your communication and self-expression while also helping you to balance your emotions. Sardonyx gemstone pushes you to work towards achieving your goals with strength and determination. It also encourages you to be kind and virtuous. Possessing sardonyx keeps reminding you that life is a blessing and allows you to live with more joy and generosity.
Sardonyx and Feng Shui
Sardonyx is a stone that brings lasting happiness, prosperity and good fortune and is considered a lucky stone in feng shui. This stone enhances decision-making and improves your communication skills, making it a popular choice to use in your homes and offices.
In feng shui, you work with the placement of objects in your home or office to control and regulate the energies in your life. Sardonyx is often used in feng shui due to its grounding and protective qualities. To get the best out of your crystal, place it in the southern area of your home or office. Place a sardonyx figurine or carving in the southeast area of your home or office is believed to attract wealth and abundance. If sardonyx is worn as jewelry, it will help bring stability to your energy.
Best Gemstones to Combine with Sardonyx
Sardonyx stones' energy works well when combined with other gemstones. It is a grounding and protective stone. Combining it with other gemstones enhances its properties or targets specific energies. There are a lot of gemstones that you can combine with your sardonyx stone. Some of these gemstones are- Clear Quartz, Snow Quartz, Citrine, Carnelian, Hematite, Red Jasper, Black Tourmaline, and Onyx.
Combining sardonyx with Clear Quartz would amplify the other gemstone's energy and can help purify. It also enhances the grounding energy of sardonyx. A combination of sardonyx and Black Tourmaline protects against negativity and electromagnetic radiation and complements the qualities of the sardonyx. When combined with Citrine, sardonyx attracts abundance and success and can help to amplify the wealth-attracting properties of sardonyx.
Sardonyx Metaphysical Properties
| Metaphysical | Properties |
|---|---|
| Meaning in Legends | Negative energy would be absorbed and stored. |
| Feng Shui | To accomplish your dreams and goals, this stone brings out your inner strength. |
| Zodiac Sign | Aries & Leo |
| Symbolism | Courage, happiness and clear communication |
| Birthstone | August- stone of strength and protection. |
| Chakra | Root Chakra |
How to use Sardonyx Stone?
You can carry sardonyx stones in your pocket or purse, but they are most commonly used in jewelry making. They are typically polished into beads, cabochons, or other decorative shapes and used to make necklaces, bracelets, earrings, etc. You should drill a hole through the gemstone to use sardonyx as a jewelry item, as it makes it easier to string onto a cord or wire. Sardonyx can be combined with other beads or charms to create a unique piece of jewelry.
Sardonyx can also be used as brooches. Brooches are pins or fasteners that are typically carved or cut into various shapes, such as flowers, animals, or other decorative designs, and set into a metal base, such as gold or silver. They can be worn to secure clothing or as a decorative accessory, and are often given as gifts for special occasions, such as weddings or anniversaries. Sardonyx brooches have a long history, with evidence of their use dating back to ancient Greece and Rome, where they were used as symbols of status and wealth. Today, sardonyx brooches are still popular and sought after for their beauty and timeless elegance.
Sardonyx can also be used for tackling challenging decisions in your life. If you feel that you face challenges from the people you have attracted in your life, you can use this gemstone to help you make a clear decision that can allow those challenges to fade away.
Sardonyx Shapes and Forms
Sardonyx can be found in a variety of shapes and forms. Some of the shapes and forms of sardonyx stones are listed below-
- Beads: Sardonyx beads are often used to make necklaces and bracelets. They can be round, oval, or irregular in shape and range in size from tiny seed beads to large statement beads.
- Slabs: You can make countertops, table tops, or other decorative surfaces with sardonyx slabs.
- Cabochons: Sardonyx cabochons are smooth, polished stones often used to make pendants, earrings, and other types of jewelry.
- Tumbled Stones: Sardonyx can also be tumbled to produce smooth, rounded stones often used in jewelry or as decorative accents.
- Carved: Sardonyx can also be carved into intricate shapes like animals, flowers, or other decorative designs.
Sardonyx and Chakras
The chakras are the internal energy center of the body and are aligned close to the spine. Sardonyx is often associated with various chakras in crystal healing and energy work.
- Root Chakra: Sardonyx is believed to be grounding and stabilizing, making it helpful for balancing the root chakra.
- Solar Plexus Chakra: Sardonyx helps with self-confidence and willpower, which are related to the solar plexus chakra.
- Base Chakra: The energetic healing properties of sardonyx work well with the base chakra. When the base chakra is out of alignment, it will lead to you experiencing symptoms of ADD or ADHD and increase feelings of irritability while damaging your sense of compassion.
- Earth Star Chakra: The earth star chakra is most closely connected to your energies. When this chakra is out of balance, you will feel disconnected from your environment and the people around you, resulting in anxiety and a lack of discipline. Using sardonyx to realign your earth star chakra will help eliminate all these irritable sensations.
- Heart Chakra: Sardonyx promotes feelings of love, compassion, and stability, making it helpful in balancing the heart chakra.
How to Cleanse Sardonyx?
Cleansing Methods and Techniques of Sardonyx
To extract the most benefits from your sardonyx stone, you should cleanse it/them regularly. Cleansing will remove any accumulated negative energy and restore its natural energy. Cleaning sardonyx is easy, and there are a lot of methods that you can use to clean your crystal.
Here are some standard methods to use for cleansing sardonyx:
- Clean with Warm, Soapy Water: You can physically clean your sardonyx with warm soapy water, a soft brush, or a soft cloth.
- Clean with Sea Salt: You can soak your crystal in a bowl of sea salt for several hours, leave it overnight, and then rinse it under running water.
- Smudging: To clean your crystal using a smudging technique, you can use a Sage smudge stick, Palo Santo wood, or any other purifying herb by wafting the smoke over it.
- Bathing your Sardonyx in Sunlight: You can clean and charge your sardonyx by placing it directly under the sun's rays for several hours.
- Bathing your Sardonyx in Moonlight: Cleaning your sardonyx with moonlight is one of the easiest ways to cleanse. All you need to do is leave the stone outside on a fool moon night, and the light will cleanse and charge your crystal.
- Reiki: Reiki energy is another technique you can apply to clean your sardonyx stone. In this technique, you must hold the gemstone and focus on removing negative energy.
Cleaning Mistakes to Avoid
You should research the specific care instructions for your stone. It would be best if you kept in mind that gemstones can get damaged by specific cleansing methods. You should avoid harsh chemicals such as bleach or detergent while cleansing your sardonyx stones. Sardonyx can be sensitive to heat, and prolonged exposure to heat or sunlight can fade the color of your stones.
Conclusion
Sardonyx is a unique and versatile gemstone with a rich history and cultural significance. It is characterized by its striped appearance, with alternating white and brown or reddish-brown bands. Sardonyx crystals are often used in jewelry making and have been prized for their beauty and durability for thousands of years. Sardonyx is a unique and attractive gemstone that has been valued for its beauty for centuries.
Sardonyx stimulates virtuous conduct and integrity and helps you gain strength and courage. This gemstone also strengthens your character and improves your willpower. Sardonyx is found in different parts of the world, including Brazil, Uruguay, Germany, and Russia. The most coveted sardonyx is found in India, where the geographic contents are perfect for colorful, vibrant, and flawless stones. The physical properties and beautiful appearance of sardonyx make it highly sought-after for various uses, including jewelry and decorative objects.