Natural blue chalcedony is a pale, milky quartz. Bright sky blue beads are often dyed, so the color alone does not tell you.
Quartz group (microcrystalline silica) · chalcedony
Blue Chalcedony
Calcedonia azul
- Palette
- Blue
- Mined in
- Austria, Brazil, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Iceland, Mexico, Morocco, Russia, Turkey, United States
- Hardness
- Mohs 6.0–7.0 ?
- See-through
- translucent
- Known since
- Prehistoric
- Named for
- likely the town of Chalcedon in Asia Minor
- Also sold as
- blue chalcedony, pale blue chalcedony
- Intention
- Calm Love
- Looking for
- Calm Communication Rest and meditation
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- Blue chalcedony may be natural or dyed, and it varies by lot. Pale, muted grey-blue is the natural color; a deep, even, bright blue is usually dye.
Not in our pieces now
6 TO 7
Chalcedony rates 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale, and though it has the same chemistry as quartz it dissolves more readily at low temperatures.
BHIMBETKA
Ground chalcedony supplied the green and yellow pigment in prehistoric paintings at the Bhimbetka rock shelters in India.
MTOROLITE
Chalcedony colored by chromium is called mtorolite in Zimbabwe, and chrysoprase gets its apple green from trace nickel.
What it is
A soft, milky to pale sky-blue stone with a waxy glow and a smooth, even color. It is a form of quartz made of microscopic crystals. Bright, saturated blue beads are often dyed, so natural pale blue is the one to expect.
What gives it its color
What makes chalcedony blue is not settled: one explanation is tiny trace elements, another is light scattering between the microscopic crystals. Some blue stone is dyed.
Where it comes from
Blue chalcedony comes from Namibia (sold as African Blue) and from the Eskisehir area of Turkey. In the United States it is found around Ellensburg, Washington, and in Nevada, California and Oregon.
In history
Chalcedony was already being flaked into tools in Central Australia some 32,000 years ago, and Minoan carvers cut it into seals at Knossos around 1800 BC. It took wax impressions cleanly, and a chalcedony cameo of the head of the Roman emperor Titus survives from the 2nd century AD.
What's said about it
In crystal lore today it is a gentle blue stone for calm, good dreams and speaking clearly. People keep it for easy conversation and a quiet room.
Older gem lore ties chalcedony to sailors, who carried it as a charm at sea. It is worn at the neck or wrist, or kept by the bed.
How people wear or keep it: On the wrist, at the neck, on the bedside table, or in a quiet room.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, blue chalcedony is paired with the throat and third eye chakras, so practitioners rest it there during meditation or lie down with it in place for a few quiet minutes. Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: on the wrist, at the neck, on the bedside table. People reach for it when they want calm, communication, rest and meditation, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
The chakra and star sign this stone is usually matched with. These are popular traditions, not facts about the stone.
ChakraThroat, Third Eye
ZodiacAries
ElementWater
Also calledblue chalcedony, pale blue chalcedony
Care
- Hard enough for everyday wear, but knocks and hard drops can still chip it.
- Wipe with a soft cloth and mild soapy water, then dry.
- If the blue is bright and uniform it may be dyed: keep it out of long soaks, sweat and strong sun so the color stays put.
- Store apart from harder stones such as sapphire or diamond.
How to tell what you have
- A bead sold as blue chalcedony may be naturally pale blue chalcedony, dyed chalcedony or agate, or dyed quartz.
- Look for dye collecting in cracks, pits, and the drill hole, and for a paler color where it is scratched or chipped.
- Very strong, uniform blue is the usual sign of dye; natural blue is soft and milky.
What sets the price
Price follows how deep and even the blue is and how translucent the stone is. Natural blue is pale and milky, so a strong, uniform blue is usually dye.
Rules and sourcing
Deep, even, bright blue chalcedony is usually dyed; pale grey-blue is the natural color. The FTC jewelry guides call for a seller to disclose dye.
Questions people ask at our table
What is blue chalcedony?
A form of quartz made of tiny crystals packed together, giving a waxy, milky look. Natural examples are a pale, soft blue.
Is the blue natural or dyed?
Both exist. Pale, slightly cloudy blue is the natural look. Bright, even sky or electric blue bead stock is often dyed, so ask your seller.
How is it different from blue lace agate?
Blue lace agate is a banded chalcedony with fine white and blue stripes. Blue chalcedony is usually plain and even in color.
Will it fade?
Natural color is stable. Dyed beads can fade with sun, sweat and soaking.
Where does it come from?
Sources include Brazil, Turkey, Mexico, Morocco, Russia, Iceland and the United States, among others.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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