Bridal Blush

It’s that time of the year again when wedding invites arrive by the dozen. And speaking of all things nuptial and knotty,the bride-to-be spends a considerable amount of time picking out her bridal finery. Have you noticed how she will always settle for the colour red? Remember Aishwarya Rai dressed beautiful as Jodha on her wedding night in the magnum opus ‘Jodha Akbar’. The actor wore an alluring ensemble judiciously highlighted by jewellery strung with orangish-red Carnelian beads. Symbolic and stunning,orange and red are both projective stone colours. Ruled by Mars and fire as their element,the colours characterize power,desire and a woman’s sensuality. I personally can’t think of another patent blend than a coy bride doused in enticing Carnelian glory.

The name Carnelian is derived from the Latin word ‘Carne’ meaning flesh. The translucent gemstone appears in orangish-red to brownish-red hues and the streak is white. The presence of iron-oxide lends the ravishing colour. The shape is routinely cabochon and oval while the stone is mainly sourced from Brazil,Russia and Ratanpur in India. Carnelian is one of the earliest adorned and revered gemstones. Archeological evidence shows evidence of Carnelian use from Europe to Asia to the Middle East dating back to the third millennium,BC. Ancient Egyptians believed the stone to ward off envy,anger and hatred. Romans famously used Carnelian in seal/signet rings,cameos and intaglios. Napoleon I and Napoleon III wore Carnelian in the 1800s. Asian Indians and Tibetans associate the gemstone with confidence,passionate active energy,initiative and awareness of self. And while we are on with the trivia,here’s more – Carnelian is also the national gemstone for Norway and Sweden.

The writer is a city-based researcher specialising in jewellery art and can be contacted at sameeraahaan02@gmail.com