mexican onyx

Thân thiện

A geologist holds a polished piece of Mexican onyx in a museum display.

Definition

Noun: - A hard, compact variety of calcite, also known as onyx marble or cave onyx. It is a form of travertine, a type of limestone deposited by mineral springs, and is often banded and used as a decorative stone.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The fireplace was beautifully faced with polished Mexican onyx.
  • Mexican onyx is frequently carved into ornamental objects like vases and lamp bases due to its translucency and attractive bands.

Advanced Usage

• As a geological term: In geology and mineralogy, the term is used to specify this particular banded calcite formation, distinguishing it from true silicate onyx.
  • The specimen was identified not as agate but as Mexican onyx.

Variants and Related Words

• Onyx marble: A common synonym for Mexican onyx.
• Cave onyx: Another term for the same material.
• Travertine: The broader category of limestone to which Mexican onyx belongs.
• Calcite: The mineral composition of Mexican onyx (calcium carbonate).

Synonyms

• Onyx marble
• Cave onyx
• Alabaster (Note: True alabaster is gypsum, but the term is sometimes used commercially for similar-looking calcite stones like Mexican onyx.)

Related Phrases/Compounds

• Onyx: A term often confused with Mexican onyx. True onyx is a banded silicate mineral (a type of chalcedony/quartz), whereas Mexican onyx is a carbonate mineral.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a hard compact kind of calcite

Từ đồng nghĩa

• alabaster
• oriental alabaster
• onyx marble
• Mexican onyx