TTO 0508 Carnelian Necklace A fabulous necklace created from eighteen faceted carnelian beads (with one small one at the clasp). We love carnelian at Time After Time, and this piece featured in one of our advertising campaigns. Rich in colour and detail, this is a statement piece. The necklace is 18inches long and our price is £39 "Let not the muse the dull Carnelian slight Although it Shine with but a feeble light." -- Marbodus, Bishop of Rennes (11th Century) Carnelian is a very attractive and richly hued brownish-red variety of chalcedony. Much of the carnelian used today comes from Campo de Maia on the continent of South America, where a sizeable quantity has had the colour improved by staining with ferrous nitrate. Carnelian is also produced in Warwick, Queensland, Australia. However, Ratnapura in India produces the best quality material. Carnelian has been known since antiquity. It is said to take its name from the Kornel cherry, which has the same rich coloring. In the 1660s, Dr Johann Schroeder gave another interesting origin. He writes: "It is a half transparent, like the water wherein flesh is washed, of like bloody flesh. Hence it is called 'Carneolus' or 'Carnelian'." Carnelian is mentioned in Exodus as one of the gems set into the breastplate of the High Priest and as a foundation stone of the New Jerusalem.