In the global natural stone market, Turkey stands out as one of the most prolific and significant producers and exporters of various types of natural stones. There are natural stone quarries found all around Turkey since antiquity, and there has been much investment and development in the sector in more recent times.
Onyx is a distinctly hard stone by the origin. It is classified as a type of chalcedony, formed by the coming together of iron oxide, calcium carbonate, copper, magnesium carbonate and fluorine minerals. A variety of quartz cryptocrystalline, the Turkish onyx is a natural stone that has many layers appearing in different colours and hues. The colours of the layers also tend to vary quite a lot.
While onyx is often mistaken for marble, it is fundamentally different from marble in many respects. While onyx can be challenging to tell apart from marble due to a somewhat similar outward appearance, one clear distinction is that while marble is entirely transparent, the onyx natural stone is translucent, often a beautiful colour and texture of light brilliance. Onyx is also found in much deeper layers below the surface than marble and is therefore valued according to its colour.
The Turkish onyx is highly commended for its translucence, refinement and classic hues. The onyx found in Turkey is much appreciated for not only construction and building purposes, but also in architectural pursuits, sculptor and jewellery making. Onyx makes a unique and bold contribution to commercial and residential spaces, and its natural aura can be further accentuated by a combination of a honed finish and backlighting.
