A History of Carnelian and Its Jewellery Making Uses

Carnelian has enjoyed nearly uninterrupted popularity like a jewellery stone from pre-historic times to the day. It was an understandable choice as an early gemstone; with orange to red colours produced by iron oxide inclusions, carnelian nodules would stand out and glow in a creek bed or field. As a number of chalcedony it absolutely was harder plus much more durable compared to the surrounding rocks. Its durable properties, just as much as its attractive colour, make sure that it’s never faded from view.
The name Carnelian comes from the Latin cornu, meaning horn, cornum meaning cherry, or carnis meaning flesh. Carnelian beads dating to at least 4000-5000BC were unearthed at Mehrgarh, an essential Neolithic archaeological site for the Kachi plain in Pakistan. Carnelian dating to 1800BC has been seen as at Knossos, around the island of Crete. Often set with Lapis Lazuli and Turquoise, Carnelian was obviously a gemstone of choice within the high-carat gold jewellery of the Egyptian Pharoahs. For the Romans, Carnelians toughness made it perfect for signet or seal rings, as it could resist detailed carving as well as the shock of hot wax. In the 1800’s gem artisans from Germany cut Carnelian beads designed for trade in Mali, West Africa. Carnelian was also your favourite during the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods when cabochons were chosen for abundance. Today it can be again a favourite with jewellers because of its number of cuts and vivid colour. jewellery tools occurs in both banded and patterned varieties and in a wide range of orange to red colours, so you’ll find so many cuts to choose from. It is offered by all price points, from inexpensive beads to bright jelly orange stones or carved gems.
Deposits of Carnelian have been discovered worldwide in parts of volcanic rock, where it formed as orange to red nodules of pure, patternless chalcedony and also banded agate. The mines of Rajpipla, inside state of Gularat, India, have produced the stone in commercial quantities since at the very least 1500AD. It is there that heat treatment became common; the stones were heated in earthenware pots laid in a very fire. Today, normally available stones are derived from deposits in India and South America which is heat treated, but natural materials is additionally available, often from artistic gem cutters who’ve access to materials from smaller, high-grade deposits. These fine stones are largely found in Handmade Rings. Some fine Carnelian is found inside the United States Pacific Northwest, where they have formed in the volcanic rocks in the Cascade Range.