Onyx is cryptocrystalline, and incorporates numerous minerals (including quartz) in a layered pattern of combined, alternating bands. Though stunning, onyx is fragile–the fragility of the stone makes it more difficult to remove from the earth, which is part of the reason it’s more expensive, as well as the fact that the conditions needed to create onyx are much rarer than other stones. There are few natural stones in the world with the same kind of power to impress as onyx. Onyx is beautiful, rare, and the ultimate luxury item for high-end kitchens and homes.