mineral
Yellow Chalcedony (likely Carnelian or Agate)
Silicon dioxide (SiO2)
Hardness: 6.5-7 (Mohs), Color: Translucent yellow to honey-orange, Luster: Waxy to vitreous, Crystal structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal (cryptocrystalline), Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture), SG: 2.6-2.64
- Hardness
- 6
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Physical properties
Hardness: 6.5-7 (Mohs), Color: Translucent yellow to honey-orange, Luster: Waxy to vitreous, Crystal structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal (cryptocrystalline), Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture), SG: 2.6-2.64
Formation & geological history
Formed through the deposition of silica from groundwater in cavities of igneous and sedimentary rocks. Common in volcanic regions where hydrothermal fluids circulate.
Uses & applications
Primarily used in jewelry for cabochons and beads, ornamental carvings, and as a popular specimen for rock collectors.
Geological facts
Chalcedony was used to make tools such as knives and arrowheads in the Stone Age. Yellow variations are often colored by traces of iron hydroxide like limonite or goethite.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its waxy luster, translucency, and inability to be scratched by a steel knife. Frequently found in riverbeds or as nodules in volcanic rock. Common in India, Brazil, and the USA.
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