Spiritual Carnelian

Evidence of Carnelian can be traced all the way back to Roman times as the stone was used to make seal rings for imprinting documents as hot wax does not stick to this gemstone.

Also known as Cornelian the colour of these stones range from a pure intense red orange to a milder brown orange and reds.

This jewel is known as a gem of great spirituality and believed to possess physical and mental healing properties.

This lively member of the Chalcedony group of gemstones was once believed to still the blood and calm the temper.

Many Muslim people revere the stone as it is believed that the prophet Muhammed wore it mounted in a ring.

The best source of this spiritual jewel is India but good examples of the stone also come from Brazil and Uruguay.

It's many different shades of red are due to the presence of iron oxides which give the stone an intense fiery glow.

Photo by Photomorgana

The colour of the stone can be enhanced by dyeing and heating and indeed sometimes they are actually Agates that have been heated and dyed.

In India brown stones are often left out in the sunshine to turn them red.

Like all Chalcedony it has a hardness of 7 on the Moh scale and looks stunning with a polish.

This stone of great spirituality has been used for hundreds of years and can often be found in antique jewelry as engraved or carved cameos.

Popular cuts of the gemstone include Cabochon which shows off the inner fiery glow of the jewel perfectly or as Beads for making bracelets and necklaces.

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