Carnelian

Carnelian is an opaque to slightly translucent, two-tone red and white to orange-white banded variety of chalcedony. It thus consists of quartz in fibrous form, the fine crystalline structure becomes visible only under a microscope.

Carnelian is used exclusively for the production of semi-precious stones.

Color

All brown shades to bright, almost pink, occur. There are both single-colored, striped as well as spotted copies. Are the most highly prized Karneole that appear when passing glances fiery red when looking at the surface but blackish red.

Their color owe the Karneole the element iron, which occurs in the form of iron oxide or iron hydroxide in various amounts in carnelian. Accordingly, the color turns out: The oxide of trivalent iron colors the stone red, the hydroxide of trivalent iron colors it brown. In carnelian from India has the heat of the sun, the one exposing the raw stones, the iron hydroxide converted into iron oxide and thus contributed to the coveted red color. What nature alone does not create, which man might help by: Karneole can be changed by heat lasting color to red out a complicated, requiring caution sorts, but known since antiquity art, among other things by the Etruscans and Phrygians. Reddish or flesh-colored varieties also called a sardine or Sardis.

Its hardness 7 enables the processing of carnelian jewelery purposes, often as a ring stone, for chains, as well as art pieces.

Etymology

The origin of the name Carnelian is not unique. The Latin name during the Middle Ages was corneolus that has already been used widely by 1078 at. Later, the stone was also called cornelius. Thus we read in the 13th century at Albertus Magnus: " corneolus, quem quidam Cornelium dicunt " ( = corneolus, which is also called cornelius ).

In Physica, the Latin drafted medical work of the Holy Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), the stone cornelius or similar is called. In the so-called Paris manuscript of Physica from the years 1425-1450 the chapter is 4-23 overwritten on the carnelian with De Cornelione. As stated there, the stone was " named because of its color after a cornel ". In other languages ​​the name for Carnelian usually begins with corn, so an o as the second letter. So goes to the New English Dictionary by Murray, Oxford 1893, which deals in detail the origin of the word, the modern English word for cornelian cornelian the Middle English ( 1000-1500 ) Title corneline back, which in turn comes from the Old French corneline. In part, it will from the Latin word cornu = horn back out because the color of the stone sometimes the same of the fingernail, but partly also to the red color of Cornus, the Latin Cornum ( adjective: corneus ) is called. In the late 15th century, the word corneolus had been misrepresented carneolus, after the Latin word carneus = flesh-colored. While there are in English for the gem also the name carnelian (ie as in German instead of a o). The English Chambers 's Encyclopaedia, 1970 edition, but this is unmistakably clear that it must be called cornelian: " Cornelian, a gemstone, often mistakenly called carnelian, is ... ".

The French word for carnelian is cornaline. According to Big Larousse, 1982 edition, is the name of corne = horn. The Spanish name is quite similar, namely cornalina. In Italian is called the gemstone corniolo and is written exactly like the Italian word for Cornus. However, the emphasis is different: For the purposes of Cornus corniolo is third, stressed on the within the meaning of Carnelian on the penultimate ( = CORNIOLO ) syllable.

According to Hans Lüschen: The names of the stones, Basel in 1979, is the most common form of this medieval Latin name corneolus, next cornelius and corniol. The derivation from the Latin corneus = horns ( the diminutive of which is corneolus ) is not as obvious as it is from the Latin cornus = cornel cherry tree (from which the diminutive is also corneolus ) and Cornum = Cornus. Have compared the color of carnelian with the meat or meat rinse water from descriptions in old books on stones. Then it could be based that the forms with a, namely Carniol, carneolus interspersed in the 15th century and so on. Carneolus was understood as the flesh -colored.

The spelling Karniol was common in the 18th and 19th centuries.

History

Carnelian was valued in ancient times as a gemstone and is found in particular rings. Well-known examples are:

• The ring of Tello, Iran, about 2500 BC, now in the Louvre
• Phoenician signet ring with Skarabäusdarstellung, 6th century BC, now in the British Museum
• Etruscan signet ring with Poseidon motif, 6th century BC, now in the French National Library in Paris.

In ancient Egypt, the carnelian was due to its resembling blood color as a " Stone of Life". Therefore, he played a role in burial rites and is also mentioned in the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Numerous Karneole were also found in the grave of Tutankhamen.

The region bore the Sumerian epithet Meluhha "Land of carnelian ."

The Cyprus Museum in Nicosia has two necklaces of carnelian beads and tooth-shaped shells that were in the archaeological site of Khirokitia in the south of the island of skeletons of women buried there found. The necklaces are dated to the period 3500-3000 BC. Carnelian is used must be imported from the mainland, as it does not exist on the island. The 5000 -year-old Troy jewelry was found during excavations of carnelian also. In the Roman Iron Age ( 0-375 ) of the carnelian was next to glass, the most common material for making cameos. Often they were part of a ring, which was also used for sealing. In the gems mostly luck and protection symbols and protective deities were cut. In simple soldiers was the ring of iron, with officers from the equestrian gold. The most important source of carnelian was India. In Kalkriese near Osnabrück, the probable site of the Varus Battle (9 AD), one has an iron ring with carnelian gem found, showing a Doppelfüllhorn with the caduceus of Mercury.

In the late Roman era carnelian beads are mainly found in the eastern provinces. In the north of the Alps they occur only occasionally, as in Pfyn (ad Fines ) and Kaiseraugst ( Switzerland ). 2005 at Großschwabhausen in the circle of Weimar in a children's grave from 11-12. Century discovered 13 beads, which probably belonged to a chain. Four of the beads are made of carnelian.

Since the carnelian is easy to work with, he was readily used as a signet ring. So Martin Luther wore a signet ring of gold with a carnelian, in the so-called Luther Rose, the coat of arms of Luther, is cut. The ring was made around 1530, probably in Augsburg, and is exhibited in the famous Green Vault of Dresden Palace.

The former high ranking of carnelian as a gemstone is impressively reflected in the so -called " jewel sets " Augustus the Strong (1670-1733) and his son who are also on display in the Green Vault of Dresden Palace and form a major component of the Saxon Kronschatzes. Of the nine sets there is the largest with 123 items The " Karneolgarnitur ". It was completed in 1719 and is largely a work of the Augsburg goldsmith Johann Melchior brothers, Georg Friedrich and Georg Christoph Dinglinger.

In the Middle Ages dolls were made of carnelian, as the color of the stone the color of human skin comes closest.

In modern times, the Carnelian experienced a renaissance as a gemstone. Among the most important processing sites include grinding shops in Idar -Oberstein. The stone was also the subject of several literary processing:

1964 Bred Professor Rupprecht on behalf of the "Institute for floriculture " in East Berlin, a new rose variety and named it after the mineral Carnelian Rose. The "Institute of Fruit Breeding " in Dresden -Pillnitz developed a sour cherry variety, which was recognized in 1990 under the name Cornelian cherry.

Education and Locations

Carnelian occurs in nature either as sinter -like coating of rocks or as a filling of cavities. In some agates, it forms more or less thick layers within their characteristic banding. Frequently Karneole are also removed from their original rock and is found in the gravels of the alluvial deposits.

So far carnelian in about 120 localities (as of 2009) are detected, among other things, at Hobart in Tasmania (Australia ); at Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil; in the French regions of Alsace, Franche-Comté and Lorraine; Baden- Württemberg ( Black Forest), Bavaria ( Fichtelgebirge), Hesse (Odenwald ), Rhineland -Palatinate ( Bad Bergzabern ), Saarland, Saxony ( Glauchau ) and Thuringia ( Saalfeld ) in Germany; England and Scotland in the United Kingdom; Gujarat in India; in the Karawanken and Leutschach in Austria; Lower Silesia in Poland; Karelia in Russia; in the Swiss canton of Jura; Banská Bystrica in Slovakia; Sabaragamuwa Sri Lanka; in some regions of South Africa; Bohemia in the Czech Republic; on the Crimean peninsula in Ukraine; in Borsod -Abaúj -Zemplén of Hungary; as well as in many regions of the United States.

Use as a gemstone

Carnelian is still mostly offered as a precious stone in smooth cut in the form of Cabochonen or gems.

Esoteric

In the Middle Ages the carnelian was sometimes worn in amulets, which should protect against enchantment. Hildegard of Bingen calls him one of the most important healing stones; he supposedly helps, inter alia, against bleeding, headache, cough and colds.

In Maroboduus of Rennes (1035-1123), bishop of that city in Brittany, and at Albertus Magnus (1193-1280) had the stone next to the hemostasis of effectiveness, to appease the anger. Almost as a panacea for the character of the carnelian was in a work from 1354, the oeconomia of Konrad von Megenberg praised:

Even in later centuries do you measure the carnelian particular activity on, on women. The sincere Jubilierer from 1773 writes: "The carnelian, worn by men, they can look attractive in a strange way on women. "

Esoteric arrange the carnelian to the zodiac signs Aries, Taurus and Scorpio. He also stands by Raphaell for the planet Mars (Planet ) and after Uyldert for the planet Jupiter. The writer and poet Theodor Körner ordered the carnelian in his poem The birthstones for the month of July.

As a healing stone carnelian should be able, arthritis, depression, neuralgia and rheumatism cure, and to relieve fever and infection. It also aims to promote vitality. Scientific thereof is not occupied.