Carnelian/Red Quartz round cabochon

Description

Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica. The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO₄ silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical formula of SiO₂. Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth’s continental crust, behind feldspar.

Carnelian is a brownish-red mineral that is commonly used as a semi-precious gemstone. It is an orange-red variety of chalcedony, a cryptocrystalline quartz mineral. It is a member of the chalcedony family. It is a translucent to opaque variety of quartz that is usually red, orange, brown, pink and shades of red. The color of carnelian varies ranging from pale orange to an intense almost-black coloration, depending on the mineral composition. Carnelian is frequently used in jewelry and for healing purposes.