SARD

Victorian Era antique watch fob featuring a hand-carved sard intaglio set in a handmade 10K rose gold scrollwork frame
Victorian Era sard intaglio watch fob
Variety:  Sard
Species:  Chalcedony
Mohs Hardness:  5 to 6 out of 10
Color:  Darker and less saturated than carnelian.  Semitransparent to semitranslucent, dark brown to brownish red to orangy brown
RI:  1.535 to 1.539 (1.53 to 1.54 spot reading)
Birefringence:  Usually not detectable
SR/DR/AGG:  AGG
Spectrum:  Not diagnostic
Fluorescence:  Generally inert
SG:  2.60 (+0.10/-0.05)
Routine Treatments:  None
Additional Enhancements:  Heating

Sard Facts

Victorian Era antique watch fob featuring a hand-carved sard intaglio set in a handmade 10K rose gold scrollwork frame
Photo of light passing through the sard intaglio

Sard is a semitransparent to semitranslucent variety of chalcedony that is darker and less saturated than carnelian.

Sard was popular for hard stone cameo and intaglio carvings.

All photos courtesy of Scott Papper, GIA GG, AJP, CMA (NAJA)