Onyx is a stone. If you cut it, you see lines — bands of colour sitting in layers.

Onyx縞瑪瑙 is是 a stone一種石頭。If you cut it如果把它切開, you你 see lines會看到條紋 — bands of colour sitting in layers一層一層的顏色帶。

The kind people know best looks almost black, often with a thin white line, and they cut it into rings, beads, and little boxes. Though actually, it is not only black: it can be brown, white, or mixed, and shops sometimes use the name a bit loosely for any banded stone that looks like it.

The kind people know best大家最熟悉的那種 looks almost black看起來幾乎是黑色, often with a thin white line常常帶一條細細的白線, and而 they cut it into rings, beads, and little boxes人們把它做成戒指、串珠、小盒子。Though actually不過其實, it它 is not only black不是只有黑色: it它 can be brown, white, or mixed可以是棕色、白色，或混色, and而且 shops店家 sometimes有時候 use the name a bit loosely把這個名字用得比較鬆散 for any banded stone that looks like it用在任何看起來像的帶紋石頭上。

You meet it in jewellery shops and in talk about old objects, not in everyday chat. It is a real stone name, not a brand.

You你 meet it會遇到它 in jewellery shops and in talk about old objects在珠寶店和講古物的話題裡, not in everyday chat不是在日常聊天裡。It它 is a real stone name是一個真正的石頭名稱, not a brand不是品牌。

The old Greek word first meant a fingernail; the layers in the stone looked a little like the layers of a nail, so they reused the name.

The old Greek word古希臘文這個字 first meant一開始的意思是 a fingernail指甲; the layers in the stone石頭裡的層次 looked a little like the layers of a nail看起來有點像指甲的層次, so所以 they reused the name人們就沿用了這個名字。