Orange Red Carnelian 12x10mm oval in pendant setting of handcrafted Silver, on a slim Silver curb link chain.
22mm total pendant length, 44cms Silver chain length.

Carnelian is a form of Quartz, part of the Chalcedony crystal family which includes Onyx, Chrysoprase, Bloodstone, and all sorts of Agate. Orange Red Carnelian has been a favourite gemstone forever; it has a colour which is, quite simply, very attractive, and is also relatively easy to work, to carve into beads and forms for setting in metal. It is relatively easy to work with because, though not an organic gemstone, rather crystalline, it is “crypto-crystalline”, its chemical structure nowhere near as compact as material that is fully crystalline. Thus, even in very ancient periods, with the use of only primitive tools, Carnelian could be cut to adorn.
By Roman times, some two thousand years ago, toolmaking allowed artesans to carve designs most intricate in Chalcedony material like Carnelian, resulting in beautiful cameos and intaglios.