Tumbled orange chalcedony (likely carnelian)

Pale orange to salmon, translucent, waxy-to-dull luster, and rounded from tumbling or natural abrasion. Quartz hardness is about 7 Mohs, with no cleavage and conchoidal fracture; the image is too blurred to confirm internal banding or texture.

Forms when silica-rich groundwater fills cavities and fractures, with iron oxides producing orange-red color; commonly Cenozoic or older depending on host rock. The specimen appears human-tumbled or smoothly water-worn.

Used for beads, cabochons, carvings, and inexpensive collector specimens; also used ornamentally in small decorative objects. Typical value is about $2–$15, or $10–$40 for a larger, strongly colored polished piece.

Carnelian is a translucent orange-red variety of chalcedony, while paler material may be called orange chalcedony or sard. Color can intensify with heat treatment.

Field clues include hardness sufficient to scratch ordinary glass, waxy luster, translucency at thin edges, and conchoidal fracture; it should not fizz in dilute acid. Common sources include India, Brazil, Uruguay, Madagascar, and parts of Europe. Around 47.6°N, 19.3°E, transported chalcedony/carnelian gravel is plausible, though a local source cannot be determined from the photo.