According to the modern Birthstone List, the Peridot is said to be the August birthstone but very few people know that the Sardonyx is also an August birthstone and appears on the traditional birthstone list. The Sardonyx is often an understated stone since most people are far more aware of the Peridot. Sardonyx is often defined as part of the quartz family and as a variant of Onyx. The reddish-brown color on onyx is called sardonyx and was highly valued in Roman times. The Romans used sardonyx in their seals since it seldom stuck to the wax. Both the Greeks and Romans believed that if they wore Talisman’s made of sardonyx during battles they would be courageous and come out victorious.
In the fashion industry, onyx and sardonyx has been used not only as jewelry settings for August birthstones but cameos have also been made from this gemstone. Cameos are raised figurines using white sardonyx that is usually placed onto black onyx which highlights the beauty of the white figurine. One of the biggest and most famous cameos has to be The Great Cameo of France. This magnificent cameo has used five layers of the August birthstone, sardonyx and twenty-four figures that are set in three different levels. This particular cameo has survived through the ages was stolen and then recovered and has only lost its gold frame over the centuries. It has now found a permanent home in Paris, France in the Bibliotheque Nationale.
In the modern age the sardonyx has various meanings from giving assertiveness to the wearer as well as being worn as a means of protection from wild or poisonous animals, insects and reptiles. It is also a very hard stone making it ideal for carvings hence the development of cameos and in the modern world it is carved into trinkets that are used in homes for protection. In professional circles sardonyx is often believed to bring about stamina and vitality while enhancing willpower and integrity at the same time. Folklore tells us that gemstones have mystical powers and those powers for the August birthstone is said to be spiritual inspiration and good control over emotions. There are many of you who do not believe in the mystical powers that gemstones may or may not possess but there is no getting away from the versatility of this stone. It is widely available throughout the world with the best deposits having been found in India.
If black and white are not your colors then you can always have your August birthstone gift made from a variety of colors? Green and red are two of the more popular colors to wear and are not as somber perhaps as the black and white colors. The green stones are said to promote fertility, growth and abundance while the red stones are just beautiful look at with their white and brownish-red bands flowing through them. These stones are unique in the way their bands add an extra dimension of beauty all of its own.