Banded Carnelian Skulls

Banded carnelian skull carvings
Natural crystal/gemstone
Dimensions 2” inches
Weighs about 80g
Hand carved

Carved crystals are individual works of art and will also bear the marks of their lapidary artisans, please appreciate the unique details of items made by hand.

Crystal Tip:

Carnelian is an orange-colored variety of Chaledony, a mineral in the Quartz family with a hardness of 7. Its name is derived from its resemblance in color to the Kornel type of cherry. Carnelian’s color can vary from pale orange to deep red-orange. Sometimes the material is banded in varying shades. Carnelian and all kinds of Chalcedony differ from Jasper (another Quartz mineral) in that the Quartz in Chalcedony is arranged in fibrous layers rather than the sugar-like grains found in Jasper. The finest Carnelians are found in India, although most of the stones on the market come from Brazil and Uruguay. [The Book of Stones pg. 123]

Researchers have written dozens of books and hundreds of articles about crystal skulls, few have attempted to explain the origin and purpose of these sculptures. For some, the crystal skulls are 19th-century “hoaxes”; for others, they are extraterrestrial artefacts, while yet others believe they are remnants of a lost civilisation.

Perhaps the most likely explanation is that they are part and parcel of the ancient cultures, particularly the Mayan, that existed in the area of Central America where they were found. Could it be that these skulls were one of the most important relics in the sacred temple complexes? Crystal skulls speak to the imagination, but are some of these skulls and their stories too good to be true?