Chrysoprase
Chrysoprase, chrysophrase or chrysoprasus is a gemstone variety of chalcedony that contains small quantities of nickel. Its color is normally apple-green, but varies from turquoise-like cyan to deep green. The darker varieties of chrysoprase are also referred to as prase.
Unlike emerald, which owes its green color to the presence of chromium, the color of chrysoprase is due to trace amounts of nickel compounds in the form of very small inclusions. The best quality stones are a rich ‘apple’ green, homogeneous, translucent chalcedony which is used as a simulant for rare and highly prized Imperial Green Jadeite.
Name
The modern word for chrysoprase comes from the Greek words chrusos ("golden") and prason ("leek") indicating the green color of the stone.
Distribution
The best known sources of chrysoprase are Indonesia, Queensland, Western Australia, Haneti Tanzania, Germany, Poland, Russia, Arizona, California, and Brazil. Deposits in central Tanzania have been in constant production since 1986.
The chrysoprase and nickel silicate ore deposit in Szklary, Lower Silesia, Poland, was probably the biggest European chrysoprase occurrence and possibly also the biggest in the world.
History of human use
Chrysoprase was utilized by many ancient cultures, including the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians to create seals, jewelry, amulets, and other ornamental objects.
Alexander the Great
According to a Dominican friar named Albertus Magnus, Alexander the Great's battle armor was embedded with a talisman made of bright chrysoprase. During his return from a successful campaign in India, he removed his armor to bathe in the Euphrates River. While the armor lay unattended, a serpent bit the stone and it fell into the water.
Art Nouveau
After the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen in the early 1920s, chrysoprase was used extensively during the Art Nouveau era in Egyptian revival jewelry that mimicked the treasures discovered in the pharaoh's tomb.
Occult significance
Chrysoprase is the stone associated with Hanael, the Archangels of the Zodiac who rules over the zodiac sign of Capricorn. As such, it is a good gemstone to use when invoking Hanael, or simply to connect with the energies of Capricorn.
Chrysoprase is one of the birthstones for May and has traditionally symbolized happiness and prudence.
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 may help heal a broken heart by providing a gentle boost to self-esteem, equalizing emotional balance, and fostering acceptance of change.