17.18 Ct. Cabochon Onyx from Madagascar

From the heart of Madagascar to your hands, this translucent multi color onyx carries a story written in stone. Formed over millennia as silica rich fluids moved through fissures and layered with mineral impurities, this onyx displays the kind of banding that only patient geology can produce. The piece we present is an oval shape, weighing 17.18 carat, and measuring 19.49 x 14.44 x 7.29 mm, a size and profile that make the bands and subtle shifts in tone easy to read with the eye and pleasing to the touch. Its translucency allows light to travel through the layers and to reveal depth and movement within each band, while the intense color intensity brings out dramatic contrasts between the warm golden browns, deep near black stripes, and the crisp white bands that give this stone its multi color identity. There has been no enhancement to alter its natural look, this onyx remains as Madagascar created it, honest and whole, waiting for the right setting to tell its next chapter.

The shaping of this gem from a rough fragment to a polished cabochon was guided by artisans who listen to the stone rather than impose a design upon it. A cabochon cut was chosen to honor the layered story within, to let the bands glide across the dome and to emphasize the stone as a landscape rather than a window. Every facet that might distract was smoothed away, and the result is a surface with excellent polish that reflects light like water over a shore, while preserving the internal textures and translucency that make this onyx so compelling. At 17.18 carat the weight gives substance and presence, yet the oval proportions remain wearable and versatile. The process was careful and deliberate, every decision made to preserve the no enhancement promise and to reveal the innate beauty of the material. The Natural Gemstone Company oversaw each step, from the ethical selection of the rough in Madagascar, to the artist led cutting, to the final quality checks that guarantee the measurements, the cabochon shape, the intense color intensity, and the outstanding polish.

This onyx invites a variety of designs and uses, and it carries with it a long human history of meaning and utility. Ancient artisans favored banded stones for seals, cameos, and amulets, appreciating both their graphic lines and their tactile presence. Today this piece can become the center of a bold ring, the calming focal point of a pendant, or the elegant anchor in a bespoke set where its stripes will align with design lines to create a piece that feels both timeless and modern. For those who value provenance, this gem comes with an honest narrative, a clear origin in Madagascar, and the assurance of natural state with no enhancement. Care is simple, gentle cleaning with a soft cloth and mild soap when needed, avoid harsh chemicals and extreme temperature shock, and your cabochon will continue to display its banded story for generations. If you are seeking a stone that connects you to the slow rhythms of the earth and to the careful craft of human hands, this 17.18 carat multi color onyx from The Natural Gemstone Company is a rare and thoughtful choice, ready to begin its next chapter with you.