Chrysoprase is a fine-grained green quartz, colored by a little nickel. It is not jade, and dyed green quartz is sold as imitation, so ask the seller.
Silicate (chalcedony) · Chalcedony (quartz)
Chrysoprase
Crisoprasa
- Palette
- Green
- Mined in
- Australia, Poland, Tanzania, Brazil, Russia, United States, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Germany, Indonesia
- Hardness
- Mohs 6.5–7.0 ?
- See-through
- translucent
- Known since
- Prehistoric
- Named for
- Greek for gold and green
- Also sold as
- prase (darker green)
- Intention
- Love Abundance
- Looking for
- Love Compassion and empathy Hope Prosperity
- Water
- Fine with water and mild soap
- Dye or finish
- Chrysoprase is usually sold natural, but dyed green chalcedony is common in the trade, so the color should be checked. Natural color can fade in strong sun.
Not in our pieces now
FREDERICK THE GREAT
Prussia's Frederick the Great loved chrysoprase, and Silesian stone went into court snuffboxes, inlaid furniture and the Sanssouci palace at Potsdam.
QUEENSLAND
Today the leading source is Queensland, Australia, where deposits in the Marlborough district were found in the 1960s and 1970s.
NICKEL
Chrysoprase is apple-green from trace nickel, not chromium as in emerald.
What it is
Chrysoprase is apple-green chalcedony, a fine-grained quartz colored by a little nickel, ranging from minty to deep green and waxy-opaque to translucent. Fine pieces are sometimes sold as 'jade', but it is a quartz. Green chalcedony dyed to imitate it is common.
What gives it its color
Chrysoprase is green chalcedony colored by tiny amounts of nickel. Dyed green chalcedony is common in the trade.
Where it comes from
Chrysoprase comes from Queensland and Western Australia, Haneti in Tanzania (in production since 1986), Szklary in Poland, Indonesia, Germany, Russia, Brazil and the United States.
In history
Pliny the Elder, writing in the 1st century AD, called chrysoprase the 'golden prase', preferred it to ordinary prase, and noted that pieces were large enough to cut into small cups. In modern times a major European source has been Szklary in Lower Silesia, Poland, and Tanzanian deposits have been in constant production since 1986.
What's said about it
In crystal lore, chrysoprase is the stone of the open heart. It's said to be kept for compassion, hope and acceptance.
The Romans prized it as the finest of the green stones, and older stories say it could free a prisoner. People also keep it in the part of the home they associate with prosperity.
People carry it in a pocket or wallet, or wear it on a necklace or bracelet, out of long sun.
How people wear or keep it: In a pocket, in a wallet or cash box, as a necklace or bracelet, or in a prosperity corner of the home.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, chrysoprase is paired with the heart chakra, 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: in a pocket, in a wallet or cash box, as a necklace or bracelet. People reach for it when they want love, compassion and empathy, hope, 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.
ChakraHeart
ZodiacLibra
ElementWater
Also calledprase (darker green)
Care
- Hard enough for daily wear, but quartz can still scratch against harder stones.
- Keep it out of long direct sun and heat; some chrysoprase can fade and dry out, especially older European material and dyed stones.
- Clean with mild soap and lukewarm water and a soft brush, then dry well.
- Avoid harsh chemicals and store it in a cool, dark place.
How to tell what you have
- True chrysoprase gets its apple-green from nickel and is hardness 6.5 to 7, with a smooth even glow and no visible grain.
- Lookalikes include dyed green chalcedony or agate, and green serpentine sold as 'Chinese chrysoprase'.
- Dye pools in cracks and the drill hole; serpentine is much softer and can be scratched with a steel point.
What sets the price
Price follows how rich and even the apple-green color is and how translucent the stone is. Lighter or duller green beads cost less.
Rules and sourcing
Dyed green chalcedony is common in the trade, so a chrysoprase strand should state whether its color is natural. The FTC jewelry guides call for a seller to disclose dye.
Questions people ask at our table
What is chrysoprase?
Chrysoprase is a green variety of chalcedony, a fine-grained quartz. Its apple-green color comes from nickel.
Is chrysoprase jade?
No. Jade is jadeite or nephrite; chrysoprase is quartz. Very fine green chrysoprase has been sold as 'imperial jade', and dyed green chalcedony is a common imitation.
Does chrysoprase fade?
Some can. Dyed pieces and some older European material can lose color in strong sun or heat, while natural Australian stone is reported to be stable. Keep any piece out of long sun.
Where is it mined?
Most today comes from Queensland and Western Australia. Poland, Tanzania, Brazil and Arizona also produce it.
Do you carry chrysoprase?
No. Green aventurine, green jade and olive jade are the green stones in our pieces.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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