Carnelian

Item Description

Here we have a wonderful Carnelian gem from one of the most well known localities for the material on the east coast of the United States. Carnelian is classified as a variety of Chalcedony, which is actually a variety of Quartz. So this is a subvariety of cryptocrystalline Quartz. Carnelian is beloved for its rich red and orange hues, and typically is not found in facet grade material. This stone has a fiery orange color on one side that grades into a slightly smoky hue throughout the rest of the gem. It has a "jelly-like" appearance, not unlike Fire Opal. The stone is good quality compared to most Carnelians that I have seen due to the color and fairly good transparency/translucency. The gem has a "Round Cabochon" cut, and is a wonderful representation of this material.