Description
Chrysoprase, Natural, Heishi, 4x2mm.
This price is for one strand 15 to 16 inches long.
4x2mm strands have 145 to 150 pieces.
Chrysoprase is one of the more valuable forms of chalcedony, which is a cryptocrystalline variety of quartz. It is colored green by traces of nickel and its name derives from the Greek words chrysos, meaning gold, and prasos, meaning green.
Its color varies from light, minty apple green to intense deep rich green depending on the amount of nickel. It is usually translucent but may be opaque and contain other brown materials in the lower quality Chrysoprase.
Australia provides almost the entire world’s production of quality Chrysoprase. Smaller amounts originate from Brazil, the US, Russia, Africa, and the Malagasy Republic. Australian deposits can be found in Western Australia and South Australia but the finest quality Chrysoprase originates from the Marlborough district in Queensland.
A good majority of this material is exported to China for a Jade substitute, leading to the misnomer ‘Australian Jade’. Our factory in China calls it by this name. Today, Chrysoprase is in high demand within the Asian market.
Hardness 7
This is a natural stone with no treatment other than cutting, drilling, and polishing in China.
