Many peoples attached great importance to a gemstone that is red or orange in color. A gem with similar rich shades is a type of chalcedony and is called carnelian. It was made a symbol by priests and prophets, and poets sang. To this day, it is present in fashion and is valued by jewelers and jewelry lovers.
Origin, history
The mineral in question is of volcanic nature, similar to chalcedony and agate, which are its relatives. The physical characteristics are the same as the latter, with the exception of color. The carnelian stone photo sufficiently reflects.
The mineral is called differently as follows.
- Sarder, if it has a brown tint. It is a derivative of Sardis, a city on the territory of Lydia, where, according to ancient legend, it was first discovered.
- The yellowish variety is called lincurium.
- Rich red - carnelian from the Latin cornus or dogwood berry.
It was also called the July stone because it looks like the sun in midsummer. The most common hypothesis says: the name comes from the Greek "Sardolitos". That is, a stone from Sardis. In ancient times, a lot of precious rock was mined there.
Carnelian is considered the oldest; it was found during excavations of camps dating back to about 13 thousand years ago. In former times, the beauty of orange and red stones was highly valued, and amulets made from them were spread throughout the world. Then the meaning was somewhat lost. The mineral has ceased to be considered precious, moving into the category of ornamental, but is still very popular in jewelry.
Extraordinary Power
The magical powers of a gemstone are expressed, one way or another, due to the color of the mineral. Carnelians are the most active colors. She has a slightly different range of methods.
Carnelian is believed to be the stone of love. This semi-precious stone corresponds to sensual emotions due to the personal part of the connection. At the same time, the level of power of the ingot increases with the level of intensity of the color of the stone - the lighter and denser the red hue, the stronger the magic.
For this reason, a variety of carnelian is used by esotericists to form love amulets, as well as protective amulets that protect a person from the influence of attractions.
As for lincurium, this solid body benefits entrepreneurs whose task is to constantly occupy a leading position. In addition, yellow carnelian will help capable but difficult people acquire the necessary qualities to show their skills and show creative inclinations.
Where is it mined?
There are not many large carnelian mining sites in the world. The most valuable breed is found in the Indian state of Gujarat. There are deposits in Crimea; a stone with a yellow tint is found in the state of Montana, USA. The gem is mined all over the planet. But sometimes the processed rock is only sold as carnelian. These are the stones from Brazil and Uruguay. Possessing a red tint, they are agates containing iron nitrate.
The mineral is found in varying quantities wherever there are extinct volcanoes. And sometimes the sea throws it out. Suppliers are Chile, Egypt, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Germany and Ukraine. Crimean specimens found in the area of Mount Karadag are distinguished by their color and pattern, similar to cumulus clouds. Siberian carnelian has jewelry qualities. And the territories near the Zeya River and in the Amur region are rich. Stones come to the domestic market from Buryatia, Yakutia (Sakha), and Primorsky Territory.
What products are made from carnelian
Carnelian is quite easy to process, it does not split, and polishes well. Thanks to this, the mineral is very much loved by jewelers who make real masterpieces from the gem. Carnelian products look very stylish and impressive.
Range
Jewelers create both individual jewelry and carnelian sets. Often the mineral can be found in combination with other stones. Usually, for a set of jewelry, they try to use carnelian of the same color, however, due to the blurry shade of carnelian, this is not so important.
The shape of the gem in products can be different:
- spherical;
- fantasy;
- plate;
- geometric.
Type of cut
For classic products, it is customary to use a cabochon. Usually it is in this form that all the beauty of carnelian and the depth of its color are revealed. For more refined and aristocratic models, facets that are not too pointed are used, since the stone itself looks better with rounded shapes.
Metal
Carnelian is a semi-precious stone, so gold or platinum often becomes its “neighbor”. However, there are quite a lot of jewelry in silver as well.
For example, for gala evenings and lavish events it is better to choose a gold item, but for everyday wear or business style, the ideal option is silver jewelry.
What stones does it go with?
Since carnelian is not distinguished by the brightness of its color, but is more restrained in its appearance, other stones in the decoration must correspond to this severity. Most often, carnelian is combined with semi-precious minerals:
- agate;
- amethyst;
- rauchtopaz;
- corals;
- citrine;
- jasper.
If you need decoration in folk, ethnic or eco styles, then in this case the accessories are combined with leather inserts and wood.
Who are they suitable for?
Carnelian does not dictate division by gender. It is suitable for both men and women.
And if the fair sex cannot complain about the assortment of jewelry with carnelian, then for the stronger half of humanity there are not so many of them. The most popular products in this direction are cufflinks and rings. Moreover, in men's accessories it is often a brown-red stone, with dark saturation and a unique depth of color.
Properties
After polishing, carnelian acquires a waxy shine. Colors range from blood color to honey, brown and yellow shades. There is no clear boundary between them. The color of the stone comes from iron oxides and hematite particles present in varying quantities. There are light and cloudy white inclusions. There are yellow spots and stripes, but not of a contrasting color. Carnelian stone does not have any transparency properties.
Physical and chemical
The chemical formula corresponds to silicate, silicon oxide - SiO2. This representative of silicas has a distant “related” relationship to quartz. But it is not classified as a crystal. The following physical properties are noted.
- Hardness on the Mohs scale is 6.5, up to 7.
- Density up to 2.64 g/cm³, easy to process.
- Transparency: translucent when cut thinly.
- There is no cleavage.
- Uneven, sometimes shell-like fracture.
Medicinal qualities
Carnelian is credited with many healing properties. There are suggestions that they are determined by the presence of radioactive radiation. After all, the composition contains a certain amount of radium, which activates regeneration and metabolic processes. This same feature prohibits the use of the stone for the treatment of cancer. But in the following cases the mineral is successfully used.
- Healing of open injuries, burns, lacerations.
- Abscesses and suppuration.
- Various inflammations.
- Dermatitis, furunculosis.
- Headache.
- Digestive diseases.
- Kidney stones.
- Neuroses.
The sample is heated and a compress is applied to the wound. Acceleration of the healing process is observed. In ancient times, the following ailments were treated with carnelian:
- toothache;
- potency disorders in men and sexual disorders in women;
- metabolic diseases.
So, to improve the functioning of the thyroid gland, red beads were worn. They use pyramids made of carnelian, inside which a person is placed. The healing qualities that the mineral may have are used and studied by medicine.
Magic properties
In ancient Greece, it was believed that carnelian could attract good luck. Since ancient times, people have used it to communicate with spirits and develop magical abilities. To many, the stone resembled a heart, as a result of which they recognized that the mineral improves health and makes a person happy. It is recommended to avoid making talismans from patterns with dark inclusions because they attract evil forces.
Color palette
The palette of carnelian is formed by the size and significance of iron oxides present in the mineral structure. The colors of the stone start from bright red and reach yellow-brown and honey tones. Gemstones of a certain color are named according to others:
- Red - carnelian;
- yellow – lincuria;
- brown palette - sarders.
There are examples with light impurities or spots. In some cases, cloudy streaks may appear white or yellow. If the mineral is distinguished by diametrically opposed precise stripes, approximately dark brown layers are replaced by white, then it is sardonyx, not chalcedony.
Application
Carnelian serves as a material for jewelry. Historically, it is good as amulets, magic items, and rosaries. From the primitive era, tools and weapons were found from this stone. Now it is inserted into frames made of inexpensive metals or silver.
In India, bronze and brass bracelets are encrusted with it. As one of the ornamental stones, carnelian is used in home handicrafts. Beads are used along with jewelry. The cost of 1 piece is approximately 50 rubles, but rare species are more expensive. Rings and earrings are popular. The mineral is used for stone carving. They make figurines, boxes, vases and other items for both household and occult purposes.
Lithotherapist's book
The mineral has been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times in different countries.
Abu-l-Fazl Khubaysh Tiflisi, Persian occultist, esotericist, astrologer, lived and wrote in the 12th – 13th centuries AD. In his “Craft Treatise,” among the properties of minerals, stones, and plants, there is information about carnelian:
- “If one burns half a dirham (1.5-2 grams) of carnelian and drinks it with apple wine on an empty stomach, it will strengthen the heart and stop the heartbeat, especially if the heart weakness is caused by heat.”
- “If one rubs the gums with carnelian powder, it ... will stop bleeding from the gums and strengthen the pulp of the teeth. And if taken orally, it will be beneficial for intestinal and bladder ulcers.”
In Ancient Egypt, the stone was ground into powder and added to ointments and medicinal infusions. The Egyptians believed that the healing properties of the mineral strengthened the body of those recovering from serious illnesses.
Carnelian ball
Indian medicine assigned the most healing properties to orange gems, closer to red. According to Ayurveda they are:
- helped in the treatment of diseases of the brain and blood vessels;
- cured ailments of the genitourinary and respiratory systems;
- alleviates the condition of feverish patients;
- had a beneficial effect on the circulatory system.
The peoples of the Ancient East (including nomadic ones) also believed in the healing power of the gem. True, the strongest were carnelians of a red hue. Doctors and healers used the power of the scarlet stone to treat the reproductive system and nervous diseases.
Women in labor were given a carnelian amulet in their hand so that the birth would go smoothly and the mother and child would be alive and healthy.
Carnelian therapy
There is a separate direction in lithotherapy - carnelian therapy.
Her story is generally sad, and similar to many others. This is the story of a man's struggle with the system.
Biologist Evgenia Badigina used the properties of the miracle stone to treat inflammatory processes and diseases of the nervous system. During the Great Patriotic War, some hospitals successfully used this method in treating the wounded.
Carnelian bracelet
The method was based on the very weak radioactivity of banded chalcedony.
Carnelian therapy helped save the lives of many soldiers, and this in the absence of antibiotics and many necessary medications. The war ended, research continued. The commission, which included academicians Burdenko, Vernadsky, Zelinsky, recognized the method as effective and promising.
But the People's Commissariat of Health stepped up to protect patients from carnelian therapy. And he won. In 1948, the method was recognized as unscientific, harmful, semi-witchcraft and subject to extermination.
Modern science denies the radioactivity of carnelians and their medicinal properties.
This does not prevent lithotherapists from making full use of carnelians in their work.
How to distinguish from a fake
Although there are quite a lot of deposits and there is no point in counterfeiting the mineral en masse, sometimes glass or plastic is sold for carnelian. It is not so difficult to distinguish a natural specimen if you familiarize yourself with the properties and appearance.
- Compared to imitation plastic, the mineral is resistant to mechanical damage and scratches. You can get shavings from the first one with a knife, but not from the second one.
- If there is a glass sheen and transparency around the edges, the fake is made of glass. The natural stone is matte and shines like wax.
- If the agates were refined, painted with iron preparations and passed off as carnelian, the samples are most similar. Such a stone cannot be completely called a fake. But only by splitting the mineral, you can understand that it is not carnelian. Along the edges it will be noticeable that the stone has been repainted.
- When purchasing, it is recommended to weigh the product in the palm of your hand. The natural specimen is heavy.
- If you knock with metal, natural stone will ring loudly compared to plastic.
When examining a natural sample with a magnifying glass, you can always detect small scratches and bubbles. And the fake sample looks perfect.
How to buy and wear
It is recommended to acquire a stone on a clear day. And also feed it with solar energy every three months. Rings with it are worn on the index and middle fingers. Not worn on the ring finger, but can be worn on the little finger. Magical, magical properties are thus most fully revealed. In this case, choose a silver frame. Bronze is good for bracelets. A number of rules explain how to wear a carnelian stone as a talisman.
- It is better for a woman to wear beads, and for a man to wear a ring.
- Earrings are suitable for a young girl.
- Carnelian does not like the presence of some other jewelry: beryl, malachite. Consequently, they are not dressed at the same time and are kept far apart.
Despite the tradition of setting carnelian in metal no more expensive than silver, it is still better to prefer gold when buying jewelry.
Jewelry with mineral
Chalcedony is preferred by jewelry specialists. In addition, granite is cheap, it is used to embed jewelry or silver items. Indian specialists send the stone to bronze, brass or medical alloy.
Silver products are available depending on the price and are very nice. Such jewelry can offer every woman an opportunity.
The average price of such accessories is supposedly as follows:
- Rings, rings – 2500-4500 rubles.
- Earrings – from 2 to 4 thousand rubles.
- Pendants are traded in amounts from 1,500 to 4,500 rubles.
- Bracelets are a little more expensive - from 3,500 to 8,000 rubles.
Rules of care
The stone must not be subjected to mechanical damage or shock. Scratches should also not be allowed, although the gem is quite durable. The following rules are also observed.
- Storage is carried out in a velvet-lined box, box or bag made of soft fabric.
- Clean the stone by washing it in a mild soapy solution using a sponge.
- Wipe with a soft cloth.
- When washing dishes or washing, remove the decoration so as not to expose it to chemicals.
How to care for carnelian
Carnelian cannot be called a capricious stone, but you still need to adhere to some rules for its storage:
- The mineral should be stored in a soft cloth, away from other jewelry, to protect it from mechanical and other damage.
- To clean the stone, use a soap solution and a soft cloth.
- It is important to avoid contact of carnelian with detergents and chemicals. Therefore, when cleaning the house, the decoration must be removed.
- So that the mineral can recharge itself with energy, it is recommended to periodically place it in the sun. However, it should not be exposed to sunlight for a long time.
Carnelian is a natural mineral with healing and magical properties. But for him to be favorable to you, it is important to believe in his strength and treat him with respect.
Who is it suitable for?
Bearing in mind the mystical properties, the rule is applied: the stone will be a powerful amulet if it is presented to a loved one in the form of a bracelet or beads. Will preserve love and protect from love spells. A specimen with yellow tints (lincurium) helps business people in the business field. It also realizes the talents of creative individuals. Astrology places carnelian under the influence of the Sun and Mercury. It is good for traders. The dark yellow shade develops confidence.
Who is the carnelian stone suitable for when aligning with the zodiac? It is recommended to almost everyone except Scorpio. Earth signs will receive the best impact. Jewelry is suitable for Taurus, Gemini, Virgo. Only the red variety should wear fire signs. Leo can wear it all the time.
Magical influence
The gem has long been credited with the properties of a talisman in love affairs . This is not surprising, because in its shape it is very similar to a human heart. It was believed that carnelian preserves the family hearth and does not allow the spouses’ feelings for each other to fade. It helps people who have not yet found a partner in finding true love. Decoration with this mineral will protect the owner from a love spell. Wearing such jewelry will help people who want to protect themselves from the evil eye. It is believed that carnelian is a talisman against evil spirits.
Carnelian stone, whose magical properties have long been known, will help timid and indecisive people gain self-confidence and overcome psychological barriers. It is able to strengthen the owner’s courage in moments of danger and helps to cope with their consequences.
In court, it contributes to the speedy establishment of the truth, which is why . ” Carnelian is credited with the ability to open the gift of foresight and strengthen it. It stimulates the owner’s entrepreneurship and intuition and helps in business.
Stone compatibility
It is difficult to find jewelry that can be worn with this mineral. It conflicts with hematite. You cannot wear opal, emerald, pearl, moonstone, aquamarine, alexandrite and topaz together. A combination with agate, jasper and jade will bring dubious benefits. But amber, spinel, garnet, rock crystal, and amethyst are favorable.
A positive effect can be achieved by the owner of the stone who can achieve harmony with it. To do this, you need to meditate on it, follow the rules of care and storage.