Mexican onyx

Description

A variety of onyx marble that is hard and durable enough to be used for sculpture. Mexican onyx is a banded travertine that is obtained from stalactites in caves. The translucent, white Mexican onyx is quarried in Tehuacan, Mexico. See Limestone onyx.

Synonyms and Related Terms

tecali; white onyx; limestone onyx; ónice mejicano (Esp.); onyx mexicain (Fr.)

Resources and Citations

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 562

• Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)

• Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996