18thC Antique 1½ct+ Carnelian Ancient Rome #1 Gemstone

Antique 19th Century Genuine Natural One and One-Half Carat Hand Crafted/Polished Indian Carnelian Semi-Precious Oval Gemstone.

CLASSIFICATION: Hand Polished Indian Carnelian Oval Cabochon.

ORIGIN: 19th century India.

SIZE: Length: 9mm. Width: 7mm. Depth (Thickness): 3mm. Measurements approximate.

WEIGHT: 1.46 carats.

NOTES: Upon request we can set your gemstone as a pendant or a ring.

DETAIL: A large, very nice quality 19th century antique hand shaped/hand polished pastel mandarin orange carnelian semi-precious oval gemstone from India. This is an exceptionally nice specimen, with soft, pastel orange tones – quite delicate in color. This beautifully colored gemstone was hand shaped and polished into this very beautiful oval by a 19th century Russian artisan. It is a nice quality carnelian gemstone by 19th century standards, and is not only transparent but eye clean as well. Even by today’s standards it is a high quality carnelian – and its origin makes it an extraordinary gemstone. But by 19th century standards, this was a very desirable and expensive gemstone. Carnelian gemstones and jewelry were extremely popular throughout the ancient Mediterranean, and maintained its immense popularity through Renaissance and into Victorian Europe. During the Roman Empire carnelian was widely used to carve cameos and signet/intaglio rings. The Romans acquired their taste for this beautifully colored reddish-orange gemstone from the Phoenicians, who traded extensively in carnelian. And carnelian was also an important trade good in ancient India.

Since before recorded history evidence suggests that carnelian was one of the most favored gemstones for at least the past 10,000 years. This particular specimen has great lustre, but it is not flawless. It is eye clean, however magnified several times over, as it is here, you can see a few imperfections (included material) within the gemstone and irregularities in the finish. But these characteristics are not only expected of hand-finished gemstones, you must also consider that two centuries ago the mining techniques prevalent did not allow the ultra deep mining operations which are so common today. Two centuries ago mankind was more or less limited to surface deposits or near surface deposits of precious and semi-precious gemstones. Higher quality gemstones which today are routinely mined from beneath hundreds of meters, even kilometers beneath the earth's surface, were simply inaccessible. So antique gemstones must be appreciated as antiques first, gemstones second. The relatively superlative quality of contemporary gemstones mined from deep beneath the earth's surface were simply not accessible two centuries ago, or at least, only rarely so. But for most, the unique nature and character of these antique gemstones more than makes up for included imperfections and irregular finishing which by and large are not so terribly obvious as they are in these photo enlargements.

HISTORY: "Carnelian" gets its name from the Latin "cornum" (cornel berry or carnelian cherry). Aside from pearls, which were "discovered" as gemstones by prehistoric man, carnelian, turquoise, and lapis lazuli are the oldest gemstones utilized in the manufacture of jewelry. Carnelian is a translucent form of (chalcedony) quartz, and ranges in color from yellow to a deep red, the color due to the presence of iron oxide. Some of the most ancient examples of jewelry included carnelian. Queen Pu-abi's tomb at Ur in Sumeria dated from the 3rd millennium B.C. In the crypt the upper part of the queen's body was covered with a robe made of gold, silver, lapis lazuli, carnelian, agate, and chalcedony beads. In Egyptian jewelry the use of gold was predominant, and it was generally complemented by the use of three colors of carnelian, as well as turquoise, and lapis lazuli.

The blood red varieties of carnelian gained great popularity in the ancient world, and were widely used to produce engraved gemstones. Intaglio-incised carving was probably first used to produce seals. The art form is believed to have originated in southern Mesopotamia, and was highly developed by the 4th millennium B.C. Many of the intaglio carnelian rings and signets produced by ancient Roman and Greek craftsmen and still in existence today, have retained their high polish better than many harder stones. Aside from being quite beautiful, carnelian seals and signets had the practical advantage of not sticking to wax. The ancient Mediterranean cultures recommended carnelian gemstones for those of weak voice or timid on speech. It was also thought to give courage to those who wore the gemstone, and also to provide a positive influence on the reproductive system. Carnelian was also believed to be strong protection from the evil eye.

Domestic shipping is $3.99 for first class mail or $6.99 for Priority Mail. Domestic rates include USPS Delivery Confirmation (you might be able to update the status of your shipment on-line at the USPS Web Site). Canadian shipments are $3.99 for Air Mail; International shipments are $4.99 for Air Mail (and generally are NOT tracked; trackable shipments are EXTRA). I can add most other items I sell to the shipment for only $0.99 each. Your purchase will ordinarily be shipped within 48 hours of payment. We package as well as anyone in the business, with lots of protective padding and containers. Trackable and insured shipments are required by PayPal for all eBay purchases utilizing PayPal as a payment method. Therefore shipping costs for this item includes the fee for postal insurance ($2 for domestic shipments; $3 for international shipments); and is required for whenever PayPal is used as the payment method.

We do NOT recommend uninsured shipments, and expressly disclaim any responsibility for the loss of an uninsured shipment. Unfortunately the contents of parcels are easily “lost” or misdelivered by postal employees – even in the USA. We do offer U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail, Registered Mail, and Express Mail for both international and domestic shipments, as well United Parcel Service (UPS) and Federal Express (Fed-Ex). Please ask for a rate quotation. We will accept whatever payment method you are most comfortable with. If upon receipt of the item you are disappointed for any reason whatever, I offer a no questions asked return policy. Send it back, I will give you a complete refund of the purchase price.

Most of the items I offer come from the collection of a family friend who was active in the field of Archaeology for over forty years. However many of the items also come from purchases I make in Eastern Europe, India, and from the Levant (Eastern Mediterranean/Near East) from various institutions and dealers. Though I have always had an interest in archaeology, my own academic background was in sociology and cultural anthropology. After my retirement however, I found myself drawn to archaeology as well. Aside from my own personal collection, I have made extensive and frequent additions of my own via purchases on Ebay (of course), as well as many purchases from both dealers and institutions throughout the world – but especially in the Near East and in Eastern Europe. I spend over half of my year out of the United States, and have spent much of my life either in India or Eastern Europe. In fact much of what we generate on Yahoo, Amazon and Ebay goes to support The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, as well as some other worthy institutions in Europe connected with Anthropology and Archaeology.

I acquire some small but interesting collections overseas from time-to-time, and have as well some duplicate items within my own collection which I occasionally decide to part with. Though I have a collection of ancient coins numbering in the tens of thousands, my primary interest is in ancient jewelry. My wife also is an active participant in the “business” of antique and ancient jewelry, and is from Russia. I would be happy to provide you with a certificate/guarantee of authenticity for any item you purchase from me. There is a $2 fee for mailing under separate cover. Whenever I am overseas I have made arrangements for purchases to be shipped out via domestic mail. If I am in the field, you may have to wait for a week or two for a COA to arrive via international air mail. But you can be sure your purchase will arrive properly packaged and promptly – even if I am absent. And when I am in a remote field location with merely a notebook computer, at times I am not able to access my email for a day or two, so be patient, I will always respond to every email. Please see our "ADDITIONAL TERMS OF SALE."