sardonyx
Americannoun
noun
Usage
What does sardonyx mean? Sardonyx is an opaque (non-clear) gemstone that’s commonly reddish-brown with white layers. Sardonyx is a variety of the mineral chalcedony, a kind of quartz. The bands of sardonyx are formed by alternating layers of the minerals sard and onyx. The color of the sard portion can range from yellow-red to a reddish-brown. Because the onyx portion can be banded, it can be considered a type of agate. Sardonyx is considered a semiprecious stone, a label given to stones that hold a lesser value than those considered precious. Sardonyx is one of the birthstones for the month of August. It’s associated with the zodiac sign Leo. Sardonyx is known for its use to create carved gems known as cameos. Example: I wear this sardonyx cameo amulet because I was born in August.
Etymology
Origin of sardonyx
1300–50; Middle English < Latin < Greek sardónyx; see sard, onyx
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Among the glories here are a lyrical alabaster-and-pearl paten, which may have come from St. Sophia, and an opulent, dappled sardonyx chalice decorated with enamel figures that resemble mini-mosaics.
From Time Magazine Archive
Hardly less precious than the cameos in sardonyx were the imitations carved out of coloured glass.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 5 "Gassendi, Pierre" to "Geocentric" by Various
The weapon and the three Kalis suddenly became one immense sardonyx that blazed huge and grand for a brief moment.
From Hunters Out of Space by Joseph Everidge Kelleam
He held out a broad gold cup, the rim whereof glinted with agate and sardonyx.
From A Victor of Salamis by William Stearns Davis
In Greece and Rome the art of cameo cutting was brought to astonishing perfection, the sardonyx being frequently used, and often cut in five different coloured layers.
From Arts and Crafts in the Middle Ages A Description of Mediaeval Workmanship in Several of the Departments of Applied Art, Together with Some Account of Special Artisans in the Early Renaissance by Julia de Wolf Gibbs Addison
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