Carnelian is a part of the variety of crystals known as Chalcedony. Chalcedony offers an incredibly large family: Carnelian, Chrysoprase, Onyx, and all of the members of the incredible Agate category. Crystal connoisseurs may be able to recognize the similarities between all of the members of the Chalcedony family. Blue Lace Agate has incredible banding patterns that are extremely reminiscent of some of the banding Carnelian has, just in a lovely light blue instead of a bright red and orange! In terms of a family tree, crystals like Crazy Lace Agate or Moss Agate might be considered cousins, bearing little resemblance to the red hot mineral Carnelian. However, there are some members of this family that are more like siblings, often being differentiated from Carnelian simply because they’re a little darker. Let’s think of Carnelian, Sard, and Red Sardonyx as being close siblings! The difference between these stones is not a huge, but rather a way to further categorize them for their notable attributes. Sardonyx is a traditionally red or dark orange variety of banded onyx. It’s name is actually a very simple combination of the two minerals it’s composed of: layers of Sard and Onyx. It’s more opaque than Carnelian, and may include intricate bands of Black, Brown, Red, Orange and White in the traditional variety of Sardonyx. Sard can be found independent of Sardonyx, as is the Brown to Red variety of Chalcedony. Like a Blue Chalcedony, Sard may be partially transparent, but it typically lacks any banding. Leaving Sard to be simply classified by its traditional dark brown coloration that is gained from iron oxide being present as it grew. In fact, Sard and Carnelian may be closer to twins! A Carnelian that might be thought to be too dark in color is often labeled as Sard, which is why almost all Carnelian on the market is so brightly colored. Carnelian’s vibrant oranges and reds offer a stark contrast to most of its family members, making it the irreplaceable Sacral stone we know and love!