5.98 Ct.Tw.Total Carat Weight Cabochon Carnelian Pair from Brazil

This pair of cabochon carnelians presents a precise, matched set ideal for detailed work in high quality jewelry, each stone weighing 2.93 carats and 3.05 carats respectively, sourced from Brazil and offered by The Natural Gemstone Company. The gems are classic oval shapes, with exact dimensions of 10.15 by 8.04 by 4.65 millimeters for the 2.93 carat piece, and 10.15 by 8.06 by 4.89 millimeters for the 3.05 carat piece. Both stones have been shaped as cabochons, exhibiting a uniform domed profile and carefully calibrated base thickness to optimize translucency and color transmission. The lapidary work emphasizes symmetry and proportional doming, ensuring each dome height to width ratio supports a saturated face up appearance without overbulking the mount. The finished girdle and base plane show controlled geometry, allowing for clean bezel seating and predictable setting depth during fabrication. The pair were evaluated physically at eye level and graded as eye clean, meaning no inclusions are visible under normal viewing conditions, a desirable characteristic for cabochon stones that rely on surface and internal clarity for visual impact.

Color evaluation is central to these carnelians, the hue being a rich orange with vivid color intensity and consistent saturation across both stones. The tone resides in a medium to medium deep range, which maximizes the warmth and presence of the orange without crossing into overly dark territory that can mute translucency. The dyeing enhancement applied to these pieces is a standard and stable treatment in carnelian trade practices, used to achieve consistent, vivid coloration and to minimize patchiness in natural banding. We disclose the enhancement openly, and the pieces have been stabilized and polished post dyeing to ensure color retention under normal wear conditions. Surface finish is excellent, with a mirror like polish that enhances specular highlights on the domes and creates clean, well defined reflections useful for evaluating surface condition. The polish also minimizes micro abrasion during setting, and contributes to the perceived depth of color by reducing surface scatter. Translucency is uniform, permitting controlled light transmission that produces the smooth, internal glow characteristic of premium carnelian cabochons.

From a craftsmanship and practical design perspective, this matched pair performs well for a broad range of jewelry applications, including complementary earrings, a matched pendant and ring set, and paired in custom inlay work. The cabochon cutting approach used here prioritizes a slightly flattened dome profile to reduce stress points during bezel setting, while preserving enough curvature to achieve strong optical saturation. Matching considerations include near identical face up dimensions and proportional dome geometry, which simplifies alignment in paired settings and reduces reworking at the bench. For ring settings we recommend a low to medium flush bezel to protect the dome and maintain the stones visual access to light, for earrings a slightly higher bezel will preserve the domes silhouette without compromising stability. Thermal and chemical care recommendations are conservative because of the dyeing enhancement, avoid prolonged exposure to strong solvents, extreme heat, or ultrasonic cleaners that can affect surface coatings. Documentation of origin and enhancement accompanies the sale, and our internal inspection protocol recorded the eye clean clarity and excellent polish noted above. For inquiries regarding bespoke mounting options, matching services, or technical certificates, our sales and gemological team at The Natural Gemstone Company can provide detailed photographs, light box images, and handling instructions to support fabrication choices and to ensure optimal presentation and longevity.