Blue Onyx Slabs

On the Mohs Hardness Scale, Onyx is a relatively soft natural stone and therefore has the potential to scratch and stain. It is also an expensive material, and may require frequent maintenance for its scratched and stained surface. It is not recommended especially in places with heavy human traffic. It is more suitable to be used in wall coverings, decorative ornaments, columns, balustrade, bathroom counters, etc. 

Onyx Stone has an exotic and fragile appearance that can compliment many modern and contemporary designs, particularly when back-lit. Cost: Around $70 - $100 per square foot installed in US market.

Onyx is a relatively hard stone with a Mohs ranking of 7. Any gemstone with a ranking below 7 can easily be scratched, even by dust. Onyx is quite a tough stone due to its composition, but can crack or chip if dealt a hard blow. To clean onyx, use soap and warm water with a soft brush to wash the stone.

Onyx is actually a type of marble and it has many of the same properties. An interesting quality of onyx is its lack of opacity. Onyx is more translucent than marble, making it a great stone for lighting or for creative purposes like a backlit wall or surface that casts a glow and enhances the stone's patterns

The ancient Egyptians used a slightly harder form of Alabaster, a Calcite Alabaster, for their arts and crafts which is more durable and contains the added mineral Calcite (CaCO3). Onyx on the other hand is made of much harder microcrystalline Quartz (SiO2).