A glassy, translucent stone, Carnelian is an orange-colored variety of Chalcedony, a mineral of the Quartz family. Its color varies from pale pinkish-orange to a deep rusty brown, though it is most known for its brilliant orange and red-orange crystals. Its name comes from a Latin word meaning "flesh."

Carnelian is a form of quartz and the birthstone for the month of August. It is also sometimes called Cornelian. The name carnelian comes from the Latin word carneus, which means fleshy, a reference to the color of the stone. Carnelian has a long history. Over 4500 years ago, Sumerian and Egyptian craftsmen were making jewelry set with stone. Ancient Romans and Greeks also valued the stone, which they used for intaglios. Carnelian has also been popular for signet rings. While in Egypt, Napoleon picked up an octagonal carnelian on the battlefield, and returned from Egypt with this stone, wearing it all the time, and then leaving it to his nephew.