Carnelian is the orange to reddish variety of chalcedony, coloured by iron oxide. It is one of humanity's oldest gems: the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all carved it into signet rings and seals, partly because hot wax does not stick to it. Its warm colour ranges from soft apricot to deep brownish red. Most carnelian today comes from India, where stones have traditionally been sun-warmed or gently heated to deepen the orange. That heating is an ancient, accepted practice, not a trick.
With a hardness of 6.5 to 7 and no cleavage, carnelian is a genuinely tough everyday stone. It works in rings, beads, pendants and carvings, and it polishes to a lovely glassy glow. Some banded agate is dyed to imitate carnelian, and dyed material often shows fine stripes when held to the light, while natural carnelian looks cloudier and more even. We only stock the genuine stone. Care could not be easier, just warm, soapy water and a soft cloth.
Fellow chalcedonies, with mookaite sharing carnelian's warm sunset colours.
