The name "onyx" comes from the Greek word for "fingernail," referring to the translucence of the white-colored layer of this multi-layered stone. According to myth, Cupid trimmed the nails of the sleeping goddess Venus. The Fates turned those clippings into stone to prevent even a part of Venus from dying.
The Romans were experts at crafting beautiful seals from onyx. In the Middle East, onyx was associated with sorcerers.
