Carnelian

About

Carnelian is an orange-colored variety of Chaledony, a mineral in the Quartz family with a hardness of 7. Its name is derived from its resemblance in color to the Kornel type of cherry. Carnelian's color can vary from pale orange to deep red-orange. Sometimes the material is banded in varying shades. Carnelian and all kinds of Chalcedony differ from Jasper (another Quartz mineral) in that the Quartz in Chalcedony is arranged in fibrous layers rather than the sugar-like grains found in Jasper. The finest Carnelians are found in India, although most of the stones on the market come from Brazil and Uruguay. In ancient times, Carnelian was believed to give the wearer courage in battle and to help timid speakers become both eloquent and bold. This ancient lore about Carnelian is not essentially different from contemporary intuitive beliefs about it, which see it as a stone that supports qualities of leadership and courage.