Keeping Carnelian Jewelry Beautiful

I just love the beauty of the Carnelian stone which ranges in color from a brownish-red to a beautiful red-orange. This beautiful gemstone is a variety of stone from the Chalcedony quartz family of stones. It comes in at a 6.5 on the Mohs scale so it's a nice semi-hard stone that can be used in a variety of jewelry pieces.

The Carnelian is one of the oldest gemstones known to man and has been around for centuries. It is one of the 12 gemstones mentioned in the standard bible. In today's jewelry world you will see Carnelian used in the cabochon form, in bead form or carved and used in cameos.

You can find Carnelian gemstones set in sterling silver, stainless steel, gold, platinum and in a variety of fashion jewelry metals. Beautiful earrings, beaded necklaces, bold pendants, beaded bracelets or a lovely cameo brooch are popular Carnelian jewelry styles.

When caring for your beautiful Carnelian jewelry you never want to wear Carnelian while showering, bathing, swimming or while doing household cleaning as water can damage this stone. It is also advised that you don't let your Carnelian jewelry pieces lay out in direct sunlight as the sun can discolor the stone.

If your pieces need a light cleaning you can use a slightly dampened soft cotton cloth to wipe down the stone and around the stone. Do this gently so that you don't loosen it from it's setting. If it needs a deeper cleaning then we recommend that you take it in to a professional jeweler.

by Jasmine Yesak, Contributing Editor at ChasingTreasure.com, online retailer of quality jewelry boxes, jewelry organizers and watch boxes. Jasmine is a Jewelry Enthusiast and Organization Consultant, she writes about Jewelry Care and Jewelry Storage Tips.