Carnelian

What Is Carnelian?

Carnelian is a reddish brown form of quartz often used as a gemstone. Its colour varies considerably from light red and orange hues to stones which are very dark brown, almost black.

Today you can buy carnelian jewelry in many forms including beads, pendants and necklaces.

Sard

The darker carnelian stones also tend to be harder and are often referred to as sard. Unfortunately there's no rigid definition of when carnelian becomes sard. The boundary is rather imprecise and the same dark red stone may be named differently by different jewelers.

Sardonyx

Some stones combine bands of sard with bands of onyx, often the white form, and these stones are known as sardonyx. Banded sardonyx can be very attractive and makes an interesting gemstone for use in jewelry.

Meaning & Properties

The name carnelian derives from the Latin word for "flesh" ("carnis" as in "carnivore"), presumably a reference to its colour. Over the centuries the stone has been attributed a variety of symbolism and properties.

History

Carnelian was used for decorative purposes as far back as the bronze age and was particularly popular with the Romans who used it for making sealing rings. These were rings with a carved seal which would be pressed into wax to create an early form of signature.

The ancient Egyptians were also familiar with carnelian and considered it to have protective properties. It was used as a symbol of protection and safe travel, especially in the afterlife.

This association with protection remains today and many people use carnelian as a talisman to assist them in their travels.