Chrysoprase
Name
The name comes from the Greek and is called "golden leek", which is probably based on the color of the mineral.
Mineral group
Chrysoprase consists of silicon dioxide and is assigned to the mineral class of oxides, more precisely the quartz group.
Locations
The Chrysoprase occurrences are in Australia, Brasil, Germany, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Madagascar, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Slovakia, Tanzania and USA.
Mohs scale
The Mohs hardness describes the hardness of a mineral on a scale of 1 to 10 and is named after its inventor, the German mineralogist Friedrich Mohs (1773 - 1839). It is the basis of the hardness test. Friedrich Mohs scored various minerals against each other and arranged them according to their hardness. The scale consists of a series of 10 minerals, each of which "scratches" all standing in front of him. Diamonds have a Mohs hardness of 10 and are therefore the hardest minerals.
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1 + 2 can be scratched with the bare fingernail
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1 - 5 can be scratched with the knife
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6 - 10 can be scratched with pane
The chrysoprase has hardness 7 on the Mohs hardness scale.
Care
The best way to care for a chrysoprase is to clean it with warm, soapy water and a soft cloth. Since chrysoprase is very sensitive to light and slowly fades when exposed to strong sunlight, it is advisable not to expose it to direct sunlight for too long.
Colour
The color scale ranges from leek green to light green and medium green. The shine is milky and waxy.
Cut
The chrysoprase is usually cut as a cabochon.
Cabochon cut: This shape is an unfaceted, round or oval cut, in which the underside is flat and the top is arched outwards. The cabochon cut accentuates and enhances the shimmer inherent in the stone's structure. Those shimmers are especially vivid in cat's eye quartz, falcon and tiger's eye, moonstone and opals.
Power
The chrysoprase is said to be a stone of the heart and has a calming effect. It gives the wearer balance, prevents too high blood pressure, removes deposits in the coronary vessels and strengthens the heart muscles.
Combination
The Chrysoprase is an absolute summer stone, combined with silver, white gold or yellow gold and light linen fabrics in white, yellow, green or blue, making it the perfect accessory for a happy summer day.