Genuine Natural One and One-Half Carat (Plus) Hand Crafted 18th Century Carnelian Semi-Precious Gemstone Oval from India.

Length: 9mm.

Width: 7mm.

Thickness: 3mm.

Weight: 1.46 carats.

NOTES: Upon request we can set your gemstone as a ring, pendant, or into an earring.

Along with turquoise and lapis lazuli, red-orange carnelian was one of the most popular and valued gemstones of the ancient world. From Mesopotamia, through Persia and Greece, and into Rome carnelian was widely used to produce engraved gemstones and seals. Many of the intaglio carnelian rings and signets produced by ancient Roman and Greek craftsmen and still in existence today.Carnelian is a semi-precious gemstone of which high quality deposits are found in India. Here we have an exceptionally nice, quality example of 18th century handcrafted, shaped and polished carnelian. It is a rich pumpkin orange with exotic, smoky undertones. Either my wife who works for a jeweler, or my Uncle who sets gemstones as a vocation would be happy to mount this beautiful gemstone into a ring or pendant (with or without chain), in either sterling silver, 14kt gold fill, or 14kt solid yellow or white gold.

Carnelian, a form of quartz crystal (as are amethyst and citrine), was extremely popular throughout the ancient Mediterranean regions, carnelian gemstones and jewelry enjoyed continuing popularity through Renaissance and Victorian Europe. During earlier Roman times it was used for cameos and for signet/intaglio rings. The Phoenicians, who sailed from port to port in the ancient Mediterranean, gave the Romans their taste for this beautiful reddish orange gemstone imported across trade routes from ancient India.

It appears that carnelian was a favored gemstone even prior to written historical records. That would be around 10,000 years of popularity. This particular specimen approaches flawlessness and certainly exceeds the standard of eye clean. Upon close examination, however, one notices slight irregularities that bear witness to its having been hand shaped and hand finished. This characteristic, the legacy of an artisan who lived around 200 years ago, gives the gemstone greater character and appeal than those mass-produced by computer controlled machines.

The name Carnelian derives from the Latin “cornum,” which means cornel berry or carnelian cherry. With the exception of pearls, used for gemstones by prehistoric peoples, carnelian, turquoise and lapis lazuli are the oldest gemstones used for body adornment. Depending upon how much iron oxide is present, carnelian, a translucent form of chaldedony, ranges in color from yellow to deep red. Dating from the 3rd millennium BC, Queen Pu-abi’s tomb at Ur was found to contain splendid examples of carnelian jewelry. The upper part of her body was covered with a robe of gold, silver, lapis lazuli, agate, chalcedony beads and carnelian. In Egypt, gold was the favored metal for jewelry making and it was frequently set with three shades of carnelian as well as turquoise and lapis lazuli.

The ancient world prized the blood red varieties of carnelian, which was used to produce engraved gemstones. Incised carvings called intaglio was used to produce seals, an art form highly developed by the 4th millennium BC that is thought to have originated in southern Mesopotamia. Intaglio carnelian seals and signets, which did not stick to wax, retain their high polish even better than many harder stones. As a talisman, carnelian was recommended for those with weak voices. In addition to engendering courage, wearing carnelian also promoted fertility and protected against the evil eye.

Domestic shipping is $3.99 for first class mail or $6.99 for Priority Mail. Domestic rates include USPS Delivery Confirmation (you might be able to update the status of your shipment on-line at the USPS Web Site). Canadian shipments are $3.99 for Air Mail; International shipments are $4.99 for Air Mail (and generally are NOT tracked; trackable shipments are EXTRA). I can add most other items I sell to the shipment for only $0.99 each. Your purchase will ordinarily be shipped within 48 hours of payment. We package as well as anyone in the business, with lots of protective padding and containers. Insurance is available for both domestic and international shipments (see “shipping and handling” rates specified for this item below). We do NOT recommend uninsured shipments, and expressly disclaim any responsibility for the loss of an uninsured shipment. Unfortunately the contents of parcels are easily “lost” or misdelivered by postal employees – even in the USA.

If you intend to pay via PayPal, please be aware that PayPal Protection Policies REQUIRE insured, trackable shipments. If you do NOT want an insured shipment, send us a check or money order and deduct the invoiced insurance premium. We do offer U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail, Registered Mail, and Express Mail for both international and domestic shipments, as well United Parcel Service (UPS) and Federal Express (Fed-Ex). Please ask for a rate quotation. I prefer your personal check or money order over any other form of payment – and I will ship immediately upon receipt of your check (no “holds”). If upon receipt of the item you are disappointed for any reason whatever, I offer a no questions asked return policy. Send it back, I will give you a complete refund of the purchase price.

Most of the items I offer come from the collection of a family friend who was active in the field of Archaeology for over forty years. However many of the items also come from purchases I make in Eastern Europe, India, and from the Levant (Eastern Mediterranean/Near East) from various institutions and dealers. Though I have always had an interest in archaeology, my own academic background was in sociology and cultural anthropology. After my retirement however, I found myself drawn to archaeology as well. Aside from my own personal collection, I have made extensive and frequent additions of my own via purchases on Ebay (of course), as well as many purchases from both dealers and institutions throughout the world – but especially in the Near East and in Eastern Europe. I spend over half of my year out of the United States, and have spent much of my life either in India or Eastern Europe. In fact much of what we generate on Yahoo, Amazon and Ebay goes to support The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, as well as some other worthy institutions in Europe connected with Anthropology and Archaeology.

I acquire some small but interesting collections overseas from time-to-time, and have as well some duplicate items within my own collection which I occasionally decide to part with. Though I have a collection of ancient coins numbering in the tens of thousands, my primary interest is in ancient jewelry. My wife also is an active participant in the “business” of antique and ancient jewelry, and is from Russia. I would be happy to provide you with a certificate/guarantee of authenticity for any item you purchase from me. There is a $2 fee for mailing under separate cover. Whenever I am overseas I have made arrangements for purchases to be shipped out via domestic mail. If I am in the field, you may have to wait for a week or two for a COA to arrive via international air mail. But you can be sure your purchase will arrive properly packaged and promptly – even if I am absent. And when I am in a remote field location with merely a notebook computer, at times I am not able to access my email for a day or two, so be patient, I will always respond to every email. Please see our "ADDITIONAL TERMS OF SALE."