How to clean it
Warm soapy water. Avoid prolonged sunlight, which fades the orange.
Orange to reddish brown
Carnelian
The birthstone for July.
Properties
Composition
Chalcedony coloured by iron oxide
Hardness (Mohs)
6.5–7
Crystal system
Trigonal
Colour
Orange to reddish brown
Mined in
India, Brazil, Uruguay, Madagascar
Worth knowing
Like sardonyx, hot sealing wax does not stick to it — the practical reason it dominated ancient seal-making.
History
Used for Roman signet rings; found in Bronze Age burials across Eurasia.
Practical
Caring for Carnelian
How to tell it is real
Most commercial carnelian is heat-treated agate, which is traditional and acceptable. Dyed material shows colour in stripes rather than a natural cloudy gradation.
One general rule covers most mistakes: never store stones loose together. Diamond at 10 on the Mohs scale scratches everything else you own, and it does not need much contact to do it.
What that hardness means in practice
Softer than household dust. Better in earrings or a pendant than in a ring, where it takes constant knocks.
Traditional associations
Carnelian is traditionally associated with drive, appetite and getting started. In chakra systems it is placed at the Sacral, and in elemental correspondence it is assigned to Fire.
These are cultural associations recorded across various traditions, not claims about physical effects. The composition and hardness above are measurable; this paragraph is folklore, and worth reading as such.
Questions
What is Carnelian made of?
Chalcedony coloured by iron oxide, crystallising in the trigonal system.
Which month is Carnelian the birthstone for?
July.
Where does Carnelian come from?
India, Brazil, Uruguay, Madagascar.
How do I clean Carnelian?
Warm soapy water. Avoid prolonged sunlight, which fades the orange.
How can I tell if Carnelian is real?
Most commercial carnelian is heat-treated agate, which is traditional and acceptable. Dyed material shows colour in stripes rather than a natural cloudy gradation.
Can I wear it every day?
At 6.5–7 on the Mohs scale, not in a ring. Keep it to pieces that take fewer knocks.