Modern Natural CarnelianIt's easy to see why these ancient beads are so collectable, you can get lost looking at the natural banding and the transition from one color to the next. This bead is modern, in that it was recently made into a bead, the stone is ancient and the markings are natural not manmade. You can tell the bead is made recently as it is so shiny and not dulled by years of use. I found this in a collection I recnently bought and I have a lot like it. I will be