Carnelian

Carnelian
Carnelian
General
Category	Chalcedonyvariety
Formula; (repeating unit)	SiO2(silicon dioxide)
Crystal system	Trigonal
Identification
Formula mass	60 g/mol
Color	Reddish, orange, brownish
Cleavage	Absent
Fracture	Uneven, splintery,conchoidal
Mohs scalehardness	6.5–7.0
Luster	Waxy to resinous
Streak	White
Diaphaneity	Translucent to opaque
Specific gravity	2.58–2.64
Optical properties	Uniaxial +
Refractive index	1.535–1.539
Birefringence	0.003–0.009
References

Carnelian(also spelledcornelian)^[3]is a brownish-redmineralcommonly used as asemiprecious stone.Similar to carnelian issard,which is generally harder and darker; the difference is not rigidly defined, and the two names are often used interchangeably. Both carnelian and sard are varieties of thesilicamineralchalcedonycolored by impurities ofiron oxide.The color can vary greatly, ranging from pale orange to an intense almost-black coloration. Significant localities includeYanacodo(Peru);Ratnapura(Sri Lanka); andThailand.^[2]It has been found inIndonesia,Brazil,India,Russia(Siberia), andGermany.^{[citation needed]}In theUnited States,the official State Gem ofMarylandis also a variety of carnelian calledPatuxent River stone.^[4]

History

The red variety of chalcedony has been known to be used as beads since the Early Neolithic in Bulgaria. The first faceted (with constant 16+16=32 facets on each side of the bead) carnelian beads are described from the VarnaChalcolithicnecropolis (middle of the 5th millennium BC).^[5]Thebow drillwas used to drill holes into carnelian inMehrgarhin the 4th–5th millennium BC.^[6] Carnelian was recovered fromBronze Age Minoanlayers atKnossosonCretein a form that demonstrated its use in decorative arts;^[7]this use dates to approximately 1800BC.Carnelian was used widely during Roman times to makeengraved gemsfor signet orseal ringsfor imprinting a seal with wax on correspondence or other important documents, as hot wax does not stick to carnelian.^[8]Sard was used forAssyrian cylinder seals,EgyptianandPhoenician scarabs,and earlyGreekand Etruscan gems.^[9]TheHebrewodem(also translated assardius), was the first stone in theHigh Priest's breastplate,a red stone, probably sard but perhaps redjasper.^[9]InRevelation 4:3,the One seated on the heavenly throne seen in the vision ofJohn the apostleis said to "look like jasper andσαρδίῳ(sardiustransliterated). "And likewise it is in Revelation 21:20 as one of the precious stones in the foundations of the wall of the heavenly city.^[10]

There is aNeo-Assyrianseal made of carnelian in the Western Asiatic Seals collection of theBritish Museumthat showsIshtar-Gulaas a star goddess. She is holding a ring of royal authority and is seated on a throne. She is shown with the spade ofMarduk(his symbol), Sibbiti (seven) gods, the stylus ofNabuand a worshiper. An 8th century BC carnelian seal from the collection of theAshmolean Museumshows Ishtar-Gula with her dog facing the spade of Marduk and his red dragon.^[11]

Etymology

Although now the more common term, "carnelian" is a 16th-century corruption of the 14th-century word "cornelian" (and its associated orthographies corneline and cornalyn).^[12]Cornelian, cognate with similar words in severalRomance languages,comes from theMediaeval Latincorneolus,itself derived from theLatinwordcornum,thecornel cherry,^[13]whose translucent red fruits resemble the stone. TheOxford English Dictionarycalls "carnelian" a perversion of "cornelian," by subsequent analogy with the Latin wordcaro, carnis( "flesh" ). According toPliny the Elder,sard derived its name from the city ofSardisinLydiafrom which it came, and according to others, may ultimately be related to thePersianwordسرد(sered,"yellowish-red" ).^[9]Another possible derivation is from the Greekσάρξ(sarx,"flesh" ); compare the surer etymology ofonyx,which comes from Greekὄνυξ(onyx,"claw, fingernail" ), presumably because onyx with flesh-colored and white bands can resemble a fingernail.^[14]

Distinction between carnelian and sard

The names carnelian and sard are often used interchangeably, but they can also be used to describe distinct subvarieties. The general differences are as follows:^[9]

Comparison of carnelian and sard
Aspect	Carnelian	Sard
Color	Lighter, with shades ranging from orange to reddish brown	Darker, with shades ranging from a deep reddish brown to almost black
Hardness	Softer	Harder and tougher
Fracture	Uneven, splintery and conchoidal	Like carnelian, but duller and more hackly (having the appearance of something that has been hacked, i.e. jagged)

All of these properties vary across a continuum, so the boundary between carnelian and sard is inherently blurry.

Necklace with gold beads and carnelian beads,Cypriotartwork withMycenaeaninspiration, c. 1400–1200 BC.^{[citation needed]}FromEnkomi.British Museum.
Indian carnelian beads, white design etched with acid, imported to Susa in 2600–1700 BC. Found in thetellof theSusaacropolis.Louvre Museum,reference Sb 17751.^[15]^[16]^[17]These beads are identical with beads found in the Indus Civilization site ofDholavira.^[18]
Egyptian necklace with biconical carnelian beads, rolled strips of sheet gold, and ten amulets.^[19]TheWalters Art Museum.

References

^Rudolf Duda and Lubos Rejl:Minerals of the World(Arch Css, 1990)
^^a ^bCarnelian on Gemdat.org
^Agnes, Michael, ed. (2001).Webster's New World College Dictionary(4th ed.).
^"Maryland State Gemstone: Patuxent River Stone (Agate)".
^Kostov & Pelevina (2008).
^Kulke, Hermann & Rothermund, Dietmar (2004).A History of India.Routledge. 22.ISBN 0-415-32920-5.
^C. Michael Hogan,Knossos fieldnotes,Modern Antiquarian (2007)
^Section 12 of the translation ofWeilue- a 3rd-century Chinese text by John Hill under "carnelian" and note 12.12 (17)
^^a ^b ^c ^dChisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911)."Sard".Encyclopædia Britannica(11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
^Revelation 4:3
^Dalley, Stephanie (29 November 2007).Esther's Revenge at Susa: From Sennacherib to Ahasuerus.Oxford University Press.ISBN 9780199216635.Retrieved24 August2019.
^"Cornelian".Oxford English Dictionary.Oxford University Press.Retrieved14 February2012.
^Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911)."Carnelian".Encyclopædia Britannica(11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
^"onyx".etymonline.com.Retrieved2019-09-26.
^"Site officiel du musée du Louvre".cartelfr.louvre.fr.
^Guimet, Musée (2016).Les Cités oubliées de l'Indus: Archéologie du Pakistan(in French). FeniXX réédition numérique. pp. 354–355.ISBN 9782402052467.
^Art of the first cities: the third millennium B.C. from the Mediterranean to the Indus.p.395.
^Nandagopal, Prabhakar (2018).Decorated Carnelian Beads from the Indus Civilization Site of Dholavira (Great Rann of Kachchha, Gujarat).Archaeopress Publishing Ltd.ISBN 978-1-78491-917-7.
^"Egyptian - Necklace".The Walters Art Museum.

External links

Media related toCarnelianat Wikimedia Commons

[gem-1] Rudolf Duda and Lubos Rejl:Minerals of the World(Arch Css, 1990)

[gemdat-2] Carnelian on Gemdat.org

[3] Agnes, Michael, ed. (2001).Webster's New World College Dictionary(4th ed.).

[4] "Maryland State Gemstone: Patuxent River Stone (Agate)".

[FOOTNOTEKostovPelevina2008-5] Kostov & Pelevina (2008).

[Kulke&R.-6] Kulke, Hermann & Rothermund, Dietmar (2004).A History of India.Routledge. 22.ISBN 0-415-32920-5.

[7] C. Michael Hogan,Knossos fieldnotes,Modern Antiquarian (2007)

[8] Section 12 of the translation ofWeilue- a 3rd-century Chinese text by John Hill under "carnelian" and note 12.12 (17)

[1911EB_sard-9] Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911)."Sard".Encyclopædia Britannica(11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

[10] Revelation 4:3

[11] Dalley, Stephanie (29 November 2007).Esther's Revenge at Susa: From Sennacherib to Ahasuerus.Oxford University Press.ISBN 9780199216635.Retrieved24 August2019.

[12] "Cornelian".Oxford English Dictionary.Oxford University Press.Retrieved14 February2012.

[13] Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911)."Carnelian".Encyclopædia Britannica(11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

[14] "onyx".etymonline.com.Retrieved2019-09-26.

[15] "Site officiel du musée du Louvre".cartelfr.louvre.fr.

[16] Guimet, Musée (2016).Les Cités oubliées de l'Indus: Archéologie du Pakistan(in French). FeniXX réédition numérique. pp. 354–355.ISBN 9782402052467.

[17] Art of the first cities: the third millennium B.C. from the Mediterranean to the Indus.p.395.

[18] Nandagopal, Prabhakar (2018).Decorated Carnelian Beads from the Indus Civilization Site of Dholavira (Great Rann of Kachchha, Gujarat).Archaeopress Publishing Ltd.ISBN 978-1-78491-917-7.

[19] "Egyptian - Necklace".The Walters Art Museum.

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