ONIONSKINS

Onionskins are a transparent-based (usually clear but sometimes colored) type of marble in which there is either a transparent clear or colored core on which are stretched flecks of color (usually opaque but sometimes transparent---the latter are sometimes called Mist Onionskins). The core will often almost entirely fill the marble so that the colors are very close to the surface, though sometimes the core will be closer to the center of the marble. Such examples are considered "Shrunken." Examples with multiple layers in the cores are known, too.

Onionskins can have either flecks that are stretched from pole to pole are those which are discontinuous. The latter types are known as "End of Day" Onionskins. There may be as few as one color or many colors, and the more colors present, generally the more desirable the marble. White, blue, pink, green, and yellow are the most common colors.

Paneled Onionskins are those that have two or more "panels" that consist of colors different than the other panels. Generally, there will be two colors in each panel, and the panels most often occur in even numbers and are opposite one another. Four paneled examples are the most common, though some have two or six (or more). Specimens with an odd number of panels (three or five) are rare.

Some Onionskins are "lobed"; that is, they have cores with slightly shrunken spaces from pole to pole. Thus, the core appears undulating to some extent. Lobed Onionskins are fairly rare and may have as few as three and as many as 18 lobes.

Onionskins rarely have either muscovite (Mica Onionskins) or goldstone (Lutz Onionskins) floating above the core. In the case of Lutz Onionskins, the core itself may contain streaks of goldstone. Both types are difficult to find and valuable, particularly Lutz Onionskins.