Carnelian Facts and Buying guide @ Jewel Info 4 U
By:Sheweta Dhanuka
Carnelian is one of the members
of chalcedony family. It is also
called as Cornelian. It was a sacred
stone for Egyptians and Tibetans.
This stone is time-honored due to
many overwhelming links from the
past. This is a semi precious
gemstone but in good olden days it
was regarded similar value like
precious stone. It was austerely
restricted only to the elite class
of the society. This was allied with
the people belonging to the top of
the hierarchy in terms of financial
power and authority. After dying,
individuals from this community were
buried with this high valued gem.
 As it is associated with
awe-inspiring fiction that could be
a truth many people plan to acquire
this astounding gemstone.
Consequently, the demand goes up and
some dealers plan to betray the
innocent buyers with poor quality
stones. Hence this article is
written to acquaint the buyer with
facts about Carnelian. The below
text provides the information that
would help in knowing the gemstone
better. First the 4 Cs are conferred
followed by source, price and other
related attributes.
Carnelian
ColourIt is mainly found in
varied shades of intense red to
reddish orange. Red is main colour
but it consists of various mix
colour shades red-orange and
red-brown. The existence of iron
impurities in the chemical
composition gives red colour to the
stone. These impurities are present
in form of iron oxide/hematite. The
genuine gemstone possess colour that
glows in presence of any light
source.
Carnelian ClarityIt holds dull luster. The
transparency state of this lovely
gem is translucent thus; due to its
mass the inclusions present within
the stone are not visible through
the naked eyes. As rough it contains
fractures and cracks on its outer
surface. These are removed during
the initial gemstone processing.
Cut : This remarkable stone is firm
and sturdy therefore it is easy for
gemstone cutters to give any desired
shape. However, the most universal
shapes seen in regular jewelry is
either smooth oval or round. Usual
shapes like square, marquise,
emerald and many other creative
shapes can be created but are not
commonly seen. All these shapes are
distinctive but do not highlight the
beauty of the stone as oval or
round.
Carat Weight : Large size of this
gemstone looks wonderful in rings,
pendants and stud earrings. It is
regarded as precious stone but is
priced as semi precious stone
therefore high carat weight single
stone could be selected. This stone
below 1 ctw is rarely available.
Mostly the size of stone selected
for diverse jewelry items falls
between 2-5 carat weight. Higher the
carat weight more becomes the cost
of the gem.
Carnelian
PriceIt is found in abundance in
several parts of the world. The
copious quantity makes this as an
affordable gem. The main price
determinants for this gemstone are
colour, carat weight and country.
Bright red colour is valued most
followed by reddish orange and other
colours. As mentioned, with the
increase in carat weight price also
increases. Lastly, supplier country
plays a role in deciding the price.
Gems from India and beads from
Madagascar are of premium quality
that are most sought after. This is
the reason why the price increases
if these countries furnish the
buying items. Clarity and cut are 2
Cs that are important to consider
when making the purchase but does
not affects the price.Occurrence:
It is micro-crystalline
quartz. It is found deep inside the
sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic
rocks. During the volcanic eruption
when lava burst these rocks are
formed holding this compact fibrous
structure. Rocks contains large
amount of this chalcedony variety as
rough, due to which the stone
becomes reasonably priced.
Source : It was first discovered
from Arabia and Egypt deserts. At
present, India is the prime source
of this enthralling gemstone. The
stones obtain from India are mostly
bright in colour and requires no
enhancement. Madagascar comes second
as the important source. Fine beads
reddish brown or reddish orange in
colour are best obtained from this
country. Few states in South America
also produce fine quality gems
possessing rich reddish orange
tinge. Australia, Brazil, China,
Scotland, West Germany, Colombia,
Saxony, Russia and few part of
Africa are some more countries
contributing to the world's total
Carnelian supply.
Enhancements: This splendid gem is
often enhanced to improve its
colour. The stones that are light in
colour are heat treated to attain
the bright red orange hue. Dull and
pale stones are sporadically dyed to
acquire the intense colour. Buyers
should always ask the dealer to
specify whether the stone owes its
colour to treatments or is natural.
The International Gems Organization
accepts the different treatments
performed to enhance the beauty of
the stone but selling enhanced stone
at the cost of natural stone is
against the law.
Carnelian
Imitations:Many beliefs are
associated with this semi precious
gemstone making it's demand very
high. With the modern techniques
artificially synthetic stone are
produced and sold under different
fancy names. Even pale pebbles are
stained in deep reddish orange
colour. It is common practice of
cheats to stain poor quality agate
and sell the same at the price of a
original Carnelian. Buyers need to
be cautious while making the
purchase. They should be careful
against the illusion of fancy names
and attractive offers. Few common
trade names for this stone are red
agate, red chalcedony and red
quartz. In order to keep away all
future distress, the credibility and
reputation of the seller should be
ensured before making any purchase
from him. These days International
Gemstone Organization certifies the
dealer for their reliability. These
dealers are liable to give written
certificates mentioning the
authenticity of the purchase made by
the buyers.
Uses : It is widely used for making
exquisite jewelries. Yellow gold of
14K, 18K or 21K is mostly used for
making all the jewels. Sterling
silver is yet another metal utilized
for making striking items. These two
metals are regularly used for
crafting the necklace, pendants,
earrings, rings and so on. Platinum,
white gold and palladium are very
expensive metals therefore are
seldom used. The reason being, cost
of these high cost metals does not
complement the net worth of the
stone.
Carnelian Jewelry for Men Finger ring is the
only carnelian jewelry item for men
popular around the world. Single
stone in dark brown orange hue in
oval shape is ideal for rings made
up 18K or 21 K gold. The beauty of
the rings is augmented with the
large size stone. The minimum size
of the stone should be between 2-4
ctw however; higher carat weight
could be selected as suitable to
one's pocket.
Carnelian
Jewelry for WomenJewelry
varieties for women is like a vast
ocean that contain unlimited and
never ending water. These are
diverse forms of items that are
created for women like necklace,
rings, earrings, bracelets, bangles
and so forth. All these could be
created using either the gemstone or
beads. Carnelian beads are also very
much accepted. Handmade bracelets,
chains and earrings with beads are
very attractive. The size of bead
could vary from as small as 2mm to
as large as 12mm. It is even paired
with beads of other stones like
jade, turquoise etc. It all depends
on the design. One should always
make sure to restring the beaded
jewelries after some time as the old
string might break due to regular
use. Similarly, stones are used
making lovely ornaments. Single
stone more than 2 carat weight
offers the magnificent look to the
jewels. It has its own exclusivity
therefore pairing with other stones
is relatively less common.
Other than jewelry, it is widely
used for making eye-catching cameos
and intaglios. The carving done on
this stone looks wonderful due to
its deep red colour. Further, as it
is translucent in nature the carved
design is emphasized to its best.
Italy is the main source for finest
artwork made from Carnelian same as
other gemstones.
Precautions: It is rated 7.0 Mohs
on the hardness scale. The good
hardness rate makes it ideal for
daily wear jewelry, as it does not
require special care. Only general
gemstone care is sufficient as it
certainly seeks some attention.
Relatively being a sturdy stone, it
must be stored in separate jewelry
box. It is durable yet a sharp blow
or hit could lead to unwanted
cracks. Once the stone is cracked it
would certainly brake in next few
days. Thus, it is very important to
be watchful from hard blows.
Beliefs : Egyptians had a strong
conviction that this gemstone seizes
special supernatural powers.
Therefore, they used to wear it as
amulets so that after death the soul
easily leaves the last life and goes
into the new. Due this reason many
Egyptian tomes had carnelian stones
engraved. Europeans used to wear it
for good luck, hope and material
comforts. Greeks and Romans used to
wear it in signet rings to get the
shield against sin. Indians and
Tibetans also believed that it has
special powers related to life after
death.
It is believed to proffer the owner
with energy and strength at the time
of illness. Strength is regained
after sickness by eating right kind
of food. Therefore, it is suggested
to wear this stone in finger ring as
it improves the appetite. This trait
of the gem makes it an energy
booster for its possessor. It is
also said to ward off the bad
vibrations as well as negative
thoughts. It is also supposed to be
a boon from the purpose of health
problems. It is alleged to stop
bleeding and heal the wound. It also
helps in blood purification. Today
astrologers suggest people to wear
this fascinating gemstone to control
the anger and develop more patience.
It aids in developing good sense of
humor thereby bringing joy and
happiness. The most important faith
associated with this gem is that it
safeguards its owner against
poverty.
Carnelian gemstone is certainly only
one of its kind. Like all other
gemstone jewelries it too enhances
the beauty of the wearer but most
extraordinary characteristic is that
it acts as a faithful guard for
health and wealth of its owner. It
undoubtedly is an energy booster in
each and every aspect. Noble
families in ancient times were smart
to confine this multifaceted stone
exclusively for their community, No
such restriction subsist nowadays so
try your luck and get hold of this
versatile gem today. What say !!
Carnelian Physical Properties
|
Chemical Composition |
The chemical composition is
Silicon dioxide and the
chemical formula is SiO2.
|
|
Colours |
Deep red, reddish orange,
reddish brown. |
|
Hardness |
Varies between 6.5 – 7 Mohs.
|
|
Refractive Index |
1.543 - 1.554 |
|
Specific Gravity
|
2.65 – 2.67 |
|
Luster |
Waxy to dull. |
|
Solid State |
Translucent. |
|
Crystal System |
Tetrahedral crystal system.
|
|
Cleavage |
None |
|
Heat Sensitive |
No |
|
Fractures |
Conchoidal |
|
Bi-refringence |
0.009 |
|
Pleochroism |
None |
|
Optical Character |
Uniaxial |
|
Enhancement |
Heat-treated to improve the
colour. |
|
Precautions |
Only general gemstone
precautions required.
|
|
Source |
India, South America,
Madagascar, Australia,
Brazil, China, Scotland,
West Germany, Colombia,
Saxony, Russia and few part
of Africa |
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