Gold and Onyx Jewellery
Gold and onyx jewellery pairs deep black chalcedony with rich yellow or white precious metal, offering sharp geometric contrast and lasting wearable history.
Gold and Onyx Jewellery
Gold and onyx jewellery spans rings, earrings, brooches, cufflinks, and matched sets created across periods from the Victorian era through the mid-twentieth century. The selection includes everything from sombre nineteenth-century mourning brooches and intricate Edwardian drop earrings to bold Art Deco geometric rings and modernist Italian suites.
Buyers most frequently encounter rings and earrings set with smooth black chalcedony or banded agate. These range from heavy gold signet rings bearing dark hardstone faces to delicate teardrop earrings and diamond-accented target rings.
The objects draw on diverse styles including Classical Revival, Victorian, Art Deco, and 1970s Modernist aesthetics. Makers combine the dark polished stone with contrasting pearls, diamonds, and precious metals to create focal points that stand out against the mounting.
How they were made
Artisans shape hardstone and onyx through careful cutting, grinding, and high-gloss polishing to achieve flat tablets, domed cabochons, or faceted geometric layouts. These dark stones are then secured into mounts of nine-carat, fifteen-carat, eighteen-carat, or twenty-two-carat yellow, rose, and white gold, sometimes backed by platinum settings.
Goldsmiths integrate diamonds, seed pearls, and rock crystal quartz alongside the onyx, using claw settings, bezel mounts, and pavé work. Techniques such as intaglio carving and layered cameos cut directly into the hardstone appear across Victorian and Edwardian examples.
Gold and Onyx Jewellery Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for gold and onyx jewellery among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Listings feature hardstone, black onyx, pearl, and diamond set across nine-carat, fourteen-carat, fifteen-carat, eighteen-carat, and twenty-two-carat gold.
What varies in quality
The distinction between standard examples and the finest pieces rests upon the crispness of the stone cutter's work and the proportion of the design. Superior items display uniformly deep black chalcedony without surface pitting, paired with well-matched diamonds and substantial gold or platinum gauge.
Execution of secondary details, such as finely milgrained metal edges, secure stone bezels, and balanced proportions in target or cluster rings, separates everyday production from the output of established makers and specialist workshops.
Kutchinsky·Kria Gioielli
The Gold and Onyx Jewellery Glossary
- Onyx
- A variety of chalcedony quartz featuring parallel bands or a uniform black colour, valued in jewellery for its opaque depth and high polish.
- Cabochon
- A gemstone shaped and polished with a smooth, convex domed surface rather than being faceted with flat planes.
- Target ring
- A ring style featuring a central gemstone surrounded by one or more concentric rings of contrasting stones, popular in Art Deco design.
- Intaglio
- A gem or stone carved with a design incised below the surface, allowing it to leave a raised impression when pressed into wax.
- Mourning brooch
- A commemorative piece of jewellery, often incorporating dark hardstone and hair or pearls, worn during periods of bereavement in the nineteenth century.
Gold and Onyx Jewellery: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I date gold and onyx jewellery?
Dating relies upon examining the mount style, the cut of accompanying diamonds, and any visible hallmarks or maker's marks. Victorian and Edwardian pieces often feature detailed closed-back settings or mourning motifs, while Art Deco items display sharp geometric lines and platinum tops.
Later mid-century items shift towards heavy textured gold, modernist Italian suites, and bold zodiac signet rings. Comparing the construction methods against known stylistic periods clarifies the likely decade of manufacture.
Are these pieces suitable for daily wear?
Many items, particularly robust signet rings and solid gold brooches, withstand regular daily use when handled with reasonable care. Delicate drop earrings and antique rings with seed pearls or fine platinum milgraining benefit from more mindful, occasional wear to protect fragile settings.
Checking the security of stone bezels and claw settings with a jeweller ensures the hardstone remains firmly seated during active use.
What is the difference between onyx and black chalcedony?
Onyx is technically a banded form of chalcedony quartz, though much of the black material used in antique jewellery has been uniformly dyed to achieve a deep, consistent darkness. Both share similar mineral hardness and take a high, reflective polish.
Jewellery descriptions often use the terms interchangeably to denote the solid black hardstone elements set into gold mounts.
How should I clean antique onyx jewellery?
Cleaning requires a soft cloth dampened with warm soapy water, followed by gentle drying, avoiding harsh chemical dips or ultrasonic cleaners that can damage pearls or treated hardstones. Pearls and softer gems set alongside the onyx are particularly sensitive to moisture and commercial solvents.
Store pieces individually in soft pouches to prevent the harder gold mounts and diamonds from scratching the polished surface of the onyx.