Chrysoprase is a well-known variety of massive quartz (i.e. chalcedony), which has been colored yellowish-green to bluish-green by the presence of nickel impurities within its crystal structure. As one of many gem materials prefixed by the Greek word for “golden”, chryso, chrysoprase hues are usually lighter in tone and brighter than those of its deep green counterpart, prase. However, the transitional point between these two chalcedony varieties has never been officially determined, and borderline cases are likely to be sold as the more valuable chrysoprase.
Today, around 85% of chrysoprase is mined in Australia, so when the material is employed to simulate jade it is usually sold under the misnomers “Australian jade” or “Queensland jade”. However, these two completely unrelated gem species can be easily differentiated by way of chrysoprase’s greater degree of translucency and lower density.
Chrysoprase Characteristics
- Hardness: 6 – 7
- Color: Pale lemon yellow to pale green
- Transparency: Nearly opaque to nearly transparent
- Chemical composition: SiO2
- Crystal system: Trigonal
- Crystal habit: Microcrystalline aggregates
History of Chrysoprase
Called the stone of Venus, is the rarest and most valuable rich apple-green gemstone in the chalcedony family and was often mistaken for emeralds by ancient jewelers. Unlike emeralds, which owe their color to the presence of chromium, the bright spring green of chrysoprase is a result of trace amounts of nickel.
Chrysoprase was used by the Greeks, Roman and Egyptians to make seals, signets, jewelry and other ornamental objects because of its vivid color. The modern word comes from the literal Greek translation chrusos, meaning golden, and prason, meaning leek, indicating the golden-leek green color of the stone.
Alexander III, an ancient Greek king of Macedonia, was one of the most successful, undefeated military commanders in Greek history. A strange story regarding a chrysoprase stone reputed to have been worn by Alexander is related by a Dominican friar named Albertus Magnus.
According to Magnus, Alexander always wore a girdle into a battle that was embedded with a bright chrysoprase stone. On his return from a successful campaign in India, he laid aside his girdle to bathe in the Euphrates River. While the girdle lay unattended, a serpent came and bit off the stone and dropped it into the water. Alexander III didn’t win another campaign after losing this precious talisman.
After the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen in the early 1920s, the well-known Art Nouveau period, which celebrated exotic sensuality and romanticism, came to life in prolific glory. Chrysoprase was used extensively during this Nouveau era with Egyptian revival jewelry that mimicked the vast treasures of the newly discovered pharaoh’s tomb.
Meaning of Chrysoprase
The word ‘Chrysoprase’ means optimism and joy. It is pronounced as ‘krai-sow-preiz’. It is comprised of two words, ‘chrys’ means ‘yellow or gold’ and ‘prase’ means green colour. The variation in colour of the gemstone depends on the amount of nickel traces present in it.
The yellow or golden-green colour of chrysoprase might be popular in the past but, these days the apple green Chrysoprase is very much in demand.
Benefits of Chrysoprase
Chrysoprase is one of the birthstones for May and has traditionally symbolized happiness, enterprise and prudence. It is a powerful stone that brings good fortune and prosperity. It instills you with poise, grace and helps you to recognize the gentle beauty within yourself so you can enjoy self-expression and courage through fluent speech and mental dexterity.Mentally, chrysoprase encourages non-judgmental attitudes, can reduce superiority and inferiority complexes and help you avoid speaking out unthinkingly in anger. It bolsters clarity of thought and creativity by attracting abundance and success in new ventures and promotes fidelity within business.Emotionally, chrysoprase is said to help heal a broken heart by providing a gentle boost to your self-esteem, equalizing emotional balance and fostering acceptance of change and tolerance for others.
The stone gives you the confidence to purify your soul by cleansing the mind and body. Use this excellent stone as a companion to utilize when you need explicit healing deep inside the heart. It attempts to help other recuperating stones to work all the more viably. This is a gem for the joy that helps to push any individual who needs a lift.
Chrysoprase opens, activates and energises the heart and sacral chakras, balances yin-yang energy, and brings Universal energy into the physical body. It induces deep meditative states, and imparts a sense of being a part of the divine whole.
Chrysoprase promotes love of truth. It promotes hope, and encourages fidelity in business and personal relationships. It stimulates creativity and draws out ones talents. Chrysoprase heals the inner child, releasing emotions locked in since childhood. It can mend a broken heart, heal relationships and transmute negative emotions into positive ones. Chrysoprase helps one to overcome compulsive or impulsive angry thoughts and behaviour, and turns your attention to positive events. It brings a sense of security and trust and is useful in healing codependence whilst supporting independence and encouraging commitment. It provides for non-judgmental attitudes and stimulates acceptance of oneself and others.
Chrysoprase is a strong detoxifying stone. It eliminates waste from the body, as well as the mind, by stimulating the liver and encouraging the body to rid itself of poisons. It is excellent for relaxation and promoting a peaceful night’s sleep, reducing claustrophobia and preventing nightmares.
Chrysoprase balances the hormones and treats the reproductive organs, fertility problems, and guards against sexually transmitted diseases. It treats disorders of the lungs and thymus, and soothes the digestive system. Aids mental and physical illness and exhaustion. Treats skin diseases and disorders of the heart. Chrysoprase increases the assimilation of Vitamin C.