Chrysoprase derives its name from the Greek "Chrysos prason" meaning Golden Leek. It was reported to be the favorite stone of Alexander the Great of Macedonia, as well as Frederick the Great of Prussia and Queen Anne of England.
With it's vivid and pure apple green color, it is the most valuable member of the Chalcedony family. Unlike some other commercial varieties of Chalcedony and Quartz on the market today, the color of Chrysoprase is completely natural. The color comes from nickel. Even though the color is natural, the color can fade in prolonged sunlight or extreme heat. Color may come back under moist storage. With normal wear conditions color fade should not be a problem, but consumers should be aware of this and know to keep the stone stored properly.
Chrysoprase is one of those stones that I think is just as pretty in its less pristine state, inclusions and all. As an example the Chrysoprase faceted round beads shown above have a little touch of brown matrix accenting the lush, minty- green stones for an entrancing effect.
Or take a look at these large Chrysoprase with Matrix Briolettes. Every stone is like an abstract Japansese Landscape-- the deep tones of the matrix swirling against the velvety green background.
And tho I admire the more rustic Chrysoprase with matrix, the cleaner matrix free stones are equally enchanting. These translucent pure green faceted pears are now available in a variety of sizes-- from petite 4x6mm to large focal sized 10x13mm.
We also have 3-4mm AAA Chrysoprase Faceted Rondelle Beads and Faceted Heart Briolettes in a variety of sizes from 8mm to large 16x18mm focals.
