Banded Carnelian

Item Description

Carnelian is a semi-precious gem that gets its name from the Latin word "cornum", in reference to the Cornelian cherry fruit found in Europe and Asia. As a matter of fact, Carnelian used to be spelled "Cornelian" until the 16th Century. The stone has been used as a gem for thousands of years, and has been found in ornamental / jewelry use in various sites around Europe dating back thousands of years. The material is a variety of Quartz,technically a variety of Chalcedony, which is essentially uncrystallized / cryptocrystalline Quartz. It is identified by its warm golden, orange and red hues, though some stones are dark enough that they appear black. The color is caused by iron content in silica, but it's still translucent in most cases so light will pass through it. Here we have a beautiful "Oval Cabochon" cut stone from West Java, Indonesia featuring a predominantly orange color, but the "dome" of the gem has a gorgeous nearly white colored band in a figure-8 outline. Beautiful in person, and this stone would make a great addition to any gem collection, or as the center stone in a ring or pendant.