What is carnelian? Properties, meaning, color, healing properties and jewelry
What is carnelian?
The carnelian stone means “flesh and blood” in Latin, as it has a vivid red color that looks like flesh and blood. It is an orange to red translucent chalcedony with a greasy to glassy luster, hard, durable and affordable.
Carnelian properties
Carnelian, the name is originated from Carne, which means “flesh and blood” in Latin, as the stone is a bright red color that looks like human flesh. It is an orange to red translucent chalcedony, with a greasy to glassy luster, a fine texture, high clarity, a pure and intense color, hardness 6.5-7 out of 10. And we can hear a crisp and lively sound when the carnelian stone is gently struck.
Since the carnelian crystal is quite common in nature, it is an inexpensive stone with a beautiful color and great meanings.
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Carnelian color
What color is carnelian? Since the stone contains iron oxide impurities, the carnelian color is red or orange, and is unevenly distributed. Some carnelian stones on the market are dyed to enhance the color and increase its value.
History and cultural references
Carnelian can be found in almost every great civilization. From the civilization of Ur (the capital of Mesopotamia before biblical times) to the time of Napoleon (who brought back a large, eight-sided carnelian from his triumph in Egypt) to Tibetan Buddhism, carnelian was known for its medicinal and spiritual values.
The ancient Greeks and Romans used carnelian in intaglio rings, with the Romans symbolically referring to dark carnelian as a man and light carnelian as a woman. In addition, the chalcedony seal of Muhammad of the Arabian Empire was a silver-encrusted, intaglio carnelian.
Moreover, the carnelian crystal has been a stone of great religious significance since ancient times. Not only Buddhism, but also Christianity and Islam hold it sacred, and even Isis, the goddess of Egyptian mythology, used it to escort the dead on their journey to the afterlife.
Called the “third eye” by ancient scholars, carnelian is said to have a resonating effect on the human body through fluctuations and is widely used in astrology and spiritualism.
The carnelian stone is also used as a raw material for dzi beads in Tibet. In Tibetan Buddhism, it is known as one of the “seven treasures” along with amber, clams, pearls, coral, gold and silver, and is one of the best tools for Buddhist practice.
Carnelian meaning
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Carnelian represents happiness and confidence. The bright red color of carnelian gives a sense of vitality and passion, and when worn properly, carnelian jewelry can visually light up our style, make us happier, and enhance our self-confidence.
Carnelian spiritual meaning
Carnelian also represents longevity. It was linked to the power of an Egyptian goddess Isis and was a symbol of longevity in Egyptian culture. The ancient Egyptians would often wear it to pray for a long and healthy life.
Carnelian healing properties
Carnelian is one of the most powerful gemstones with outstanding healing properties, and is often used for its physical, psychological and spiritual benefits. So what are the benefits and healing properties of carnelian?
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1. Carnelian emotional healing properties
It is said that wearing carnelian jewelry regularly brings to us cheerfulness, confidence and strength, as its bright red color gives a sense of vitality and passion. It also helps people with a bad temper to deal with their anger issue and to achieve self-control.
In addition, it helps to improve interpersonal relationships by making us more tolerant and considerate and removing hostility and jealousy.
2. Carnelian physical healing properties
In terms of physiology, it is believed that the atomic arrangement and vibrational frequency of carnelian can increase the body’s magnetic field and cardiac circulation, promote metabolism and balance the aura.
Wearing carnelian for a long time can balance positive and negative energy, eliminate mental stress, and maintain physical and mental health. People who are weak and sickly are recommended to wear carnelian to help their recovery.
The carnelian stone is also recommended for people with poor memory, disturbed thinking, weak voice and lack of courage. Wearing carnelian jewelry can enhance our memory and help us to face life positively with more courage and strength.
3. Carnelian metaphysical properties
The carnelian chakra
The carnelian stone responds to the root chakra and the sacral chakra of the seven chakra system. The root chakra is located at the base of the spine. This chakra is the root of the entire energy system, meaning ground and support. Its color is red, and related organs are the spine, kidneys, back, hips, legs and feet.
Ihe sacral chakra is said to be located above the root chakra and below the solar plexus chakra, but in fact the sacral chakra is not fixed in a certain position. It rotates around the solar plexus chakra like a satellite in the abdomen. Its color is orange, and related organs are the spleen, pancreas and liver.
4. Carnelian spiritual healing properties
According to ancient Buddhist scriptures, carnelian has strong spiritual properties, and is one of the “seven treasures” in Buddhism. Wearing or holding a carnelian crystal can help us take advantage of its spiritual power and ward off evil spirits.
Carnelian vs agate
Both carnelian and agate are a kind of chalcedony, with the same composition of SIO2. Chalcedony can be divided into three categories: agate, jasper and chalcedony. While carnelian belongs to chalcedony, agate is a big category of chalcedony, in which red agate is the most valuable.
Even thought they are both red gemstones with amazing meanings and powers, there are clear differences between them in terms of structure, transparency and price.
Carnelian has a microcrystalline structure with no stripes, a reddish color with greasy luster, and high transparency; Agate is a cryptocrystalline structure with obvious stripes, and its transparency and color are not as good as carnelian, but its price is slightly higher.
Stripe
Carnelian has no visible veins or stripes, since the molecules inside are very small and its texture is very fine; red agate has very distinctive banding and rich colors.
Transparency
The transparency of carnelian is higher than that of red agate. Carnelian is a silicon dioxide hydrate containing water, a texture very similar to that crystal, and thus looks crystal-clear and watery; while carnelian looks dry because it is a dehydrated silica gel and is not as transparent as carnelian.
Price
Due to its high production, carnelian is cheaper than red agate of the same quality and workmanship. However, prices of both stones are greatly affected by quality, texture, color, size, shape and design, and it is difficult to distinguish between them solely based on prices.
Carnelian cleansing and purification
1. Bury or soak in kosher salt
The standard way to cleanse and purify a carnelian crystal is to use kosher salt, since it does not contain common additives such as iodine.
How do we do it? If you use large grains of kosher salt, then simply put the salt on a plate or dish and then bury the stone within the salt for about 24 hours. Reminder, it can be longer than 24 hours, but not shorter. This is very effective and can last up to 3 months with a single purification, also called 100-day purification.
If we use small grains of kosher salt instead, we need to prepare a liquid in the ratio of 10 grams of kosher salt to 500 grams of water, and put the crystal into the liquid and soak it for 24 hours. Since the small grains of kosher salt are less energetic, you can carry it for about 1 month continuously for one purification.
2. Place it on a crystal cluster
Cleansing and purifying with a crystal cluster is the easiest and most convenient method. The crystal cluster itself has a very strong energy. It can not only purify the stone, but also charge it. All we need to do is to place the stone on the crystal cluster overnight.
3. Use clear water
Carnelian and its energy come from nature, so we can also use natural methods to help cleanse and purify the stone. Place the stone in a flowing stream or river and rinse it with water for 20 minutes before drying it. If this is not possible, buy a bottle of mineral water and soak the crystal in it for 24 hours. This helps to remove the negative energy.
Where to buy carnelian stones and carnelian jewelry?
If you want to buy carnelian stones and carnelian jewelry ranging from $0.5-$100, you can check Etsy. You can buy a raw carnelian stone, carnelian beads or carnelian jewelry, like a carnelian ring and carnelian bracelet that are affordable and of high quality and have them delivered to your house fast.
Alternatively, if you want to buy high end carnelian jewelry ranging from $100-$2000, you can check Farfetch. They have luxury brands like Gucci, Prada, Boucheron, Cartier, Chopard, David Morris, De Beers as well as designer brands that are unique and less well-known. You can also have all the products delivered to your home.
Care and maintenance
Matters that should be noted: Firstly, we should try to avoid impact since the stone is relatively brittle; Secondly, store each piece of jewelry properly to avoid collision with each other; Thirdly, avoid acid, alkali or organic solvents and other chemicals; Fourthly, do not expose it to high temperatures to protect the color; Fifthly, do not wear it when bathing or swimming, as it will easily lose its luster.
Lastly, clean the stone with water and apply grease (for example, baby oil) to protect it and avoid strong soap or hot water to prevent the loss of luster.
To wrap up
Thank you for reading this article. I hope you find all the information needed. If this article is helpful to you, comment below to let us know or check other articles on stones that we have published: The amethyst stone and its properties, colors, meanings.
