Carnelian pendant Brazil A rolled stone loop silver 925

Beautiful tumbled carnelian stone approximately 25mm x 15mm with 925 silver loop.
Shapes, colors, and patterns may vary slightly from one stone to another.

Carnelian belongs to the microcrystalline quartz family. It is a red variety of chalcedony. It owes its beautiful color to inclusions of hematite, a natural iron oxide. The intensity of its color, from red to orange, is linked to its iron concentration.
It is also composed of aluminum oxide and silica. This red quartz comes from low-temperature volcanic rocks. Vermilion red is the most sought-after color, so it is often obtained by heating the stone or exposing it to sunlight for a long time.

Carnelian is very slightly translucent, even opaque, and its pleochroism is weak (the ability to see light pass through the stone and show various colors). It has a hardness between 6 and 7 on the Mohs scale.

Several hypotheses are put forward regarding the etymology of carnelian. Some suggest that this name comes from the dogwood tree, a shrub growing in the Eastern Mediterranean countries. It produces a fruit with a beautiful red color relatively similar to that of carnelian. The origin of the name dogwood comes from the Latin "corneolus".

Others claim that this name comes from the Latin "carne" meaning meat. But in both cases, carnelian owes its name to its beautiful orange-red color. From the 16th century, the stone was definitively named "carnelian".

Carnelian has been used for millennia. In the early 20th century, Leonard Woolley, a British archaeologist, discovered the tomb of Puabi during his excavations. She was a very important figure in the Sumerian city of Ur during the First Dynasty of Uruk between 2750 and 2550 BC. She was covered with magnificent necklaces and a gold headdress, including carnelian and lapis lazuli. The latter is exhibited in Pennsylvania at the Museum of Archaeology. In the neighboring tomb, the Standard of Ur was discovered in the form of a small ivory chest adorned with red Indian carnelian. This small chest reveals the history of this civilization. It is, for its part, exhibited at the British Museum in London.

Around 2700 BC, this orange stone appeared in ancient Egypt. It was given as an offering to Isis, mythical queen and funerary goddess, to accompany the dead on their journey to the afterlife. Carnelian also served as a stone of magnificence and ornament, with a protective purpose. It is identified on the headdresses of pharaohs and on many talismans. Moreover, this stone with orange-red colors, associated with the colors of the sun, spiritually represents the Sun god. It was also found on paintings or used as natural medicine.

Unlike the Egyptians, the Greeks and Romans used this stone only for making jewelry and seals and attributed no healing powers to it. Gods and symbols of luck were engraved in the red stone. Pliny the Elder, a Roman naturalist of the 1st century AD, described it in his encyclopedia Natural History. He even distinguished between male stones, very red, and female stones, rather yellowish-orange.

In the Middle Ages, carnelian was given healing powers. At that time, battles raged, carnelian was supposed to give courage to warriors and protect them from hemorrhages.

In China, the Chinese accentuated the red color of carnelian by including copper oxide, then used it to enamel their fine porcelain. Carnelian was ground and transformed into pigment for the decoration of art objects.

In France, during the Renaissance, carnelian was a stone that attracted many artists. Then from the 17th century, Dutch maritime trade brought back a large number of carnelians directly from the East. Little by little, they spread into the manufacture of jewelry, ornamental objects, and goldsmithery. This trade made them lose their rarity and led to a drop in prices.

The main deposits are located in Brazil, Madagascar, Botswana, etc.

In lithotherapy, carnelian is a stone of serenity and appeasement. It has the ability to strengthen self-confidence and promotes spontaneity. It develops joie de vivre and encourages enjoying every moment.
Associated with temerity since antiquity, this stone restores energy, vitality, courage, and regulates excessive egos. It facilitates public speaking and provides great eloquence. It generates confidence, but not arrogance.

Carnelian encourages the fight against intense states of sadness. Moreover, it calms anger, jealousy, and resentment. It helps overcome certain past traumas and becomes a stone of resilience.

For overly sensitive people, this stone can make them stronger, give them more self-assurance, and help them assert themselves. It dispenses creativity and promotes concentration by channeling overactive thoughts.

It is a stone renowned for bringing joy of life, good mood, happiness, and enthusiasm. Its vibrant color diffuses a sense of well-being that helps manage complicated situations gently. Unlike most red stones, carnelian regulates excess energy instead of increasing it.

A true lucky charm, carnelian diffuses its protection throughout the home and promotes relationships by maintaining a gentle and serene atmosphere. It encourages understanding between people.