Hello, I’m Con from Heart of Stone Studio. I would like to tell you about Carnelian.
Carnelian is a microcrystalline quartz, made up of silicon dioxide with iron oxide impurities that give it its distinct red color. It is in the chalcedony family of quartzes, with the quartz arranged in fibrous layers. This is different from the jaspers, where the quartz is arranged in sugar-like grains. The structure of the quartz in Carnelian gives some pieces a partial translucency.
The origin of the name Carnelian is not clear. Some people say that it comes from the Latin Carne, which means flesh. Others say that it comes from the Latin Corneus, which means horn. Still others suggest that it comes from the Latin Corneolus, which means cherry, because of its color.
The stone is found in a variety of places around the world. The best Carnelian comes from India, where people put brownish stones out into the sun and the heat of the sun turns the brown colors red.
Carnelian has a long history of use by people.
Its use in jewelry dates back more than four thousand years. On Crete, Carnelian was found in decorative pieces dating from the Bronze Age, and archeologists have found that this stone was worked by ancient jewelers as far back as the 4th or 5th millennium.
In ancient Egypt Carnelian was worn by master architects, and was also worn by warriors to give them courage. It was placed in Egyptian tombs as magic armor for life after death and was worn by living people to protect themselves from falling into hatred, anger, jealousy, and envy.
Egyptians set it in collars and necklaces with onyx and lapis lazuli, and Romans set it in gold for earrings or finger rings.
Because it is a hard stone with a Mohs hardness of 7, it can be carved with images or symbols. Wax will not stick to Carnelian, so it was used for seals and signets in ancient times. Many Roman seals, and the stones in many Roman signet rings, are Carnelian.
Some say that Carnelian has a number of metaphysical properties. It is said to activate the first, second and third chakras, giving the wearer life force, sexual and creative energy. It is promoted as being good for people who want to make things happen. It can help people take the leap to a new path and helps overcome the fear of taking action.
Carnelian is said to be a good stone to wear for those who are afraid of public speaking, because it is supposed to give self-confidence and strengthens the voice. For this reason, it is a good stone to wear for people who are making theatrical presentations.
In a business context, Carnelian is said to support leadership, courage, and enterprise, and anchors people into the present reality. It is said to aid in decision making, and defines and strengthens a person’s identity.
We have a number of Carnelian cabochons on our Heart of Stone Studio website, www.heartofstonestudio.com.
Check out our YouTube video on Carnelian.
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