Sardonyx is August's birthstone and it can be traced four thousand years to Ancient Egypt. The stone contains two materials, sard and onyx; hence its name. Sard appears anywhere from a dark orange to red to almost black. Onyx, although thought by most to only appear in black, can appear in almost any color. The two are paired in bands to create sardonyx.

For most of sardonyx's history, it has been used to create cameos and intaglios. In Ancient Rome, women wore sardonyx necklaces containing cameos of Venus in the hopes of harnessing the powers of the goddess of love. Soldiers wore sardonyx rings and intaglios containing images of the Mars, the god of war, into battle with the hopes that the sardonyx jewelry would act as protection.

Today we know that sardonyx cameos can not make one more attractive or protect one in battle. But as August's birthstone, sardonyx jewelry is a great gift for anyone born in this month. And with sardonyx's fiery red colors, it is the perfect summer stone. Stop in our store this month and see which of our sardonyx pieces are just right for you and your loved ones.