04/21/2026
Beautiful Tuesday gem lovers! Most people have heard of Carnelian, but what else do you know about it. A Mohs hardness of 6.5-7 this beautiful stone is the least expensive Chalcedony (quartz). A range of yellow-orange to orangy-brown semi-opaque to translucent. The source of its color is Iron and it can be easily heat treated to darken red tones as the iron is oxidized (even by the sun's heat alone). You can assume any piece of Carnelian has been heat treated. Mined worldwide, Gem quality sources include Brazil, Egypt, and Uruguay. Like it, Share it, Follow it! www.thewiresedge.com