04 ONYX
The magnificent onyx has been used as an ornamental gemstone since antiquity. During times of war, ancient Romans would don onyx amulets engraved with the sign of Mars, the god of war, as it was believed to bestow courage upon the wearer. Named after the Latin word for ‘claw’, onyx possesses a cryptocrystalline texture consisting of fine intergrowths of the silica minerals quartz and moganite, which produces colours such as white, red (Sardonyx), brown and black. The latter usually displays bands of colours that are the result of impurities seeping into the rock as it forms in the earth. In more recent times, the rock is cut into smooth cabochons and beads to be used in bracelets, necklaces, earrings and rings.
The barrel of the Montblanc High Artistry Homage to Hannibal Barca Limited Edition 10 features black onyx studs that are meticulously applied by hand.
