What is more expensive: chrysolite or chrysoprase?

Chrysolite and chrysoprase are often confused because of their similar names: in this they are indeed quite similar. Both stones are classified as semi-precious jewelry minerals, are rare, highly valued and are quite expensive for their class. External similarity – both have a characteristic “juicy” green color with a golden tint. Otherwise, peridot and chrysoprase have a lot of differences and nothing similar. Upon closer examination, it is noticeable that these are two completely different minerals. And only a person who has absolutely no understanding of stones can confuse them.

Description of peridot

Chrysolite has been known since ancient times; it was discovered by the Egyptians almost 6000 years ago. It was mined in a single place – on the island of Zeberged, lying in the Red Sea. The mines are still in operation today, and quite large crystals are found there. Other places where peridot is mined are Australia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Zaire, Myanmar, USA, Pakistan, Tanzania, Sri Lanka and South Africa. In Russia, the stone is found among the diamond deposits of Yakutia; there are no separate deposits. Large minerals are extremely rare; even specimens over 10 carats are rare; most of them do not exceed 2-3 carats. The largest faceted chrysolite sparkled in the Russian Imperial Crown, its weight is 192,8 carats, it is now stored in the Diamond Fund of the Russian Federation. The ancient Greek name of the stone – χρυσόςλίθος – literally translated means “golden stone”. This reflects a rich green color ranging from emerald to olive, but always with a golden hue. This characteristic feature is given to the mineral by microscopic inclusions of iron, nickel and magnesium particles, and the saturation of the shade depends on their concentration. The predominance of these components over other impurities gives the facets of chrysolite a special radiant glow.

Peridot is presented in one color, albeit in different variations. This is a rare feature among jewelry stones.

The ancient Romans called it “evening emerald”; this is the most unusual property of the mineral – under artificial light, it changes its golden-green color to a deep emerald, without any shades. By affiliation, chrysolite is classified as an island silicate and one of the most valuable varieties of olivine. Jewelers often call it peridot. Used to make a variety of jewelry, it is especially valued for the transparency and purity of its crystals. This is greatly facilitated by the sparkling shine of peridot and its high light refractive index, ranging from 1,65 to 1,70 magnitudes. Despite the rather impressive density of 3,2-4,3 g/cm3, the stone is extremely fragile; with an average hardness on the Mohs scale of 6,5-7, it can easily break. Peridot can wear off from prolonged wear, become dull from unprofessional polishing, crack from the slightest mechanical impact and is very sensitive to high temperatures.

Description of chrysoprase

The semi-precious jewelry stone chrysoprase was well known to the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt, Akkad and Babylon, Greece and Rome. There was and is no mineral mining on their territory. Chrysoprase was imported, Egyptian writings point to the Land of Punt – presumably the territory of modern India. The only large deposit of chrysoprase in Europe was discovered in the 2th century near Szklary (a town in the west of present-day Poland). They began to develop it at an industrial level in the XNUMXth century. European deposits of stone turned out to be too small and were exhausted within XNUMX centuries. Australia and the USA remain the largest suppliers of chrysoprase; Brazil and India have small reserves; small-scale mining is carried out in Madagascar and Kazakhstan. The ancient Greeks aptly named the mineral chrysoprase (χρυσόςπράσον) that is, “golden-onion” for its juicy plant color, because of which all variations of the color of the stone are compared to fruit. It is indeed similar in color to lemons, apples or olives, depending on the variety. Emerald green chrysoprase is an extremely rare, top-grade jewelry stone that is valued more than others. It is given richness by granular microparticles of nickel, and the higher its content, the brighter and more beautiful the gem. In this way it is similar to chrysolite, although the color palette of chrysoprase is much wider. Apple-green specimens are somewhat inferior in value to emerald ones – the most common of the varieties, and lemon chrysoprase, while remaining a valuable gem, is used exclusively as an ornamental stone. In terms of affiliation, chrysoprase is closest to quartz, being a somewhat isolated variety of chalcedony from the rest of the group. A distinctive feature is the presence of silicate carolites in clay impurities. Otherwise, the stone has the structure and physical characteristics of other quartz. Emerald green chrysoprase shows through well, but lacks transparency. With a lower density than peridot, 2,6 g/cm3, and the same hardness – up to 7 units, it is much stronger, but its color fades from prolonged wear. The mineral has the ability to self-heal – it only needs to stay in water for 3-4 hours to regain its former brightness.

Chrysolite and chrysoprase: how to distinguish

Color is perhaps the only thing in which the two stones are similar. Otherwise, they can be called the complete opposite of each other. Anyone who at least has an idea of what they look like and what they are can understand whether chrysoprase or peridot is before their eyes.

Differences are visible in appearance; upon examination, in the properties of minerals, their magical abilities, and compatibility with other stones.

The first thing that catches your eye is its transparency – unlike crystal peridot, chrysoprase is opaque and cannot refract light. It is dull and, in comparison with the opponent, seems dull and lifeless.
The color of the minerals is similar, but it is impossible to compare them with each other; they are radically different. Chrysolite is brighter and crystalline in color, while chrysoprase has a thick and juicy “vegetative” color.
In terms of jewelry value, chrysolite is much superior to chrysoprase – it is used exclusively for making elegant jewelry, and accordingly, it costs more. It does not have varieties that differ in quality.
The methods of processing the two stones also differ – peridot is cut, revealing its brilliance, radiance, and play of light. Chrysoprase is not suitable for this, it does not have the ability to refract light, it is cabochon cut and polished.
Faceted peridot stones are usually placed in a gold frame, which emphasizes brilliance and beauty more than others. Chrysoprase does not tolerate this metal and is combined with silver, mainly blackened.
Combined chrysolite jewelry is made with amethysts framed by a central stone. For chrysoprase, amethyst is one of the minerals with which it is not compatible either aesthetically or magically.
Chrysoprase is often used as an amulet by financiers. He patronizes business people and helps conclude successful deals and contracts. Chrysolite has nothing to do with financial activity and is unable to attract wealth.
Chrysolite needs constant contact with the human body, this is the only way it transmits positive energy. Chrysoprase should not be worn for too long or even kept nearby – this can lead to negative consequences.
Chrysolite requires special treatment; it is fragile and picky. Chrysoprase is more resistant, and besides, being a member of the element of Water, it has the ability to restore color in case of fading and some damage if left in water for several hours.

Application and care

Chrysoprase, unlike its opponent, depending on the quality, is used for making jewelry and is used as an ornamental stone. But possessing amazing energy, it has served as a talisman for thousands of years, and the main products made from it are amulets and talismans.

Peridot is also used in this capacity, but beautiful natural stones much more often become material for expensive jewelry.

Both simple amulets and elegant jewelry require attention from their owners. Jewelry care:

Chrysoprase is not picky in this regard, the main condition is to store it away from direct sunlight, but not in complete darkness, but in a shaded place. When exposed to light for a long time, it becomes faded and dull. At the same time, it should not constantly remain in twilight; periodically you need to take out the products to “breathe.”
Chrysoprase needs contact with humans and water, since it belongs to this element. There is no need to constantly immerse the stone in liquid to return its rich color; it is enough to wrap it in a damp cloth, but not a synthetic one, for 3-5 hours. When washing, use a soap solution, and for cleaning – any soft materials.
Chrysolite jewelry requires especially careful treatment, the care products are not much different from others, the main condition is that everything must be done very carefully. This mineral requires more sunlight, charging energy, and human proximity to transmit it. Therefore, you should not hide stones in dark places.
Jewelry with chrysolite, like many others, is washed in a solution with ammonia, only weak, no more than 5 ml per 250 ml of water. For dry cleaning, you will need to wipe the stones with a soft natural cloth and add baking soda to it. For rinsing, use only clean running water and no acids.

It cannot be said that one of the minerals is better and the other is worse. Comparing jewelry stones in this way is a thankless task: each of them is equally rare, valuable and beautiful in its own way. Peridot and chrysoprase have their own characteristics, unique properties that are not available to others. Which one is better is a matter of choice and personal preference.

As a rule, it is difficult for people far from the jewelry world to name a green gemstone, but not an emerald. Meanwhile, the list of stones of this color can be supplemented by at least 12 minerals of different saturations. Let’s talk about what kind of precious and jewelry stones are green.

Varieties of green stones: top 12

You are probably familiar with many green precious stones and jewelry stones from this list, but you may recognize other names for the first time.

Green diamond

Fancy diamonds (green, red, blue, blue, violet) are very rare and very expensive, valued at millions of dollars per carat. Such unique pieces are usually sold at closed auctions and are usually given their own name.

The largest and most famous green diamond is the Green Dresden, weighing 40,7 carats. The diamond is inlaid into an agraf for a headdress and is kept in the Grünes Gewölbe Museum in Dresden.

Emerald

Emerald is a dark green gemstone of the first order. Without it, it is impossible to imagine a list of precious stones of this color. The outdated name for this representative of the beryl group is “smaragd”. Large (from 5 carats) defect-free samples of a thick tone are valued more than diamonds. Thus, the cost of Colombian emeralds starts from 5 thousand dollars per carat.

The grassy green color of the crystals is given by chromium oxide, vanadium oxide or iron oxide. Emeralds come in various shades – from yellow-green to blue-green, but the main tone is always green.

Alexandrite

Very rare among green gemstones. The chrysoberyl variety can change shade from dark blue-green, bluish-green in daylight to pink-crimson and purple in artificial light. This feature is called the “Alexandrite effect”. The most valuable alexandrites are mined in the Urals.

Green sapphire

Among green-colored gemstones, it is worth mentioning sapphire from the corundum group. Sapphires of all colors except blue are classified as colored. They are valued at $300 or more per carat. Natural corundum is becoming less and less every year. As supplies rapidly dwindle, the value of these stones will rise.

Demantoid and other green garnets

Demantoid is an emerald green garnet from the Ural deposit, a third-order gemstone according to the Russian system. The price for one carat of this stone is from $700, which is significantly higher than that of other representatives of the group. The cost is influenced by such properties of the mineral as dispersion, which is higher than that of a diamond, high brilliance, rarity, and golden inclusions of bissolite.

The group of garnets also includes other green stones – dark green uvarovite, light green grossular, bottle-colored tsavorite. The color of uvarovite, which naturally forms fine-grained brushes, is associated with the presence of chromium in the crystal structure.

The bright green color of the tsavorite gemstone owes its color to vanadium. It is mined mainly in Tanzania and Kenya. Grossular is a calcium-aluminum garnet found in jewelry of varying quality.

Verdelite

The stone is a dark green gemstone variety of tourmaline. The mineral has the property of pleochroism, changing shade from light green to dark green when the stone is turned. Inserts made from this stone are used by global jewelry brands in their products.

Green Jasper

One of the most common jewelry and ornamental stones. In Rus’, the mineral was called jasper. The most famous Russian deposits are located in the Southern Urals.

The Hermitage exhibition features the largest stone-cut vase in the world, made of Kolyvan green jasper.

Chrysolite

Peridot, a transparent variety of olivine, is classified as a fourth-order gemstone. “Peridot” is what this green stone is called in the West. It was also called the evening emerald. The mineral is characterized by a golden-green hue and very bright play. But the color varies to olive green and dark chartreuse.

Nephritis

Jade is a cloudy green stone with a characteristic fibrous structure. It comes in different shades of green: grassy, emerald, marsh, yellowish. The unique property of this jewelry and ornamental stone is its high strength: jade is twice as strong as steel. It is especially valued in China, being the national stone. There are deposits of green jade in Buryatia.

Chrysoprase

A pale green gemstone of the fourth order. The color of chrysoprase, which is determined by the presence of nickel, can be described as apple green, while the stone is characterized by a waxy luster.

The art of glyptics largely owes its appearance to this mineral. Chrysoprase was a favorite of Alexander the Great. The most valuable is the highest grade of emerald green color with a translucency of 5 centimeters in depth.

Noble jadeite

Noble jadeite (Commercial, Imperial A) has little in common with nondescript gray-green bath stones. The mineral belongs to the second-order precious stones. The cost of the best samples can reach millions of dollars.

The most expensive jadeite is of the “Imperial” grade, category “A” – it is a stone of a uniform emerald green color with excellent transparency, mined in Burma. Jewelry with such designs is sold only at closed auctions.

Malachite

Malachite is an opaque green ornamental stone with an interesting pattern. The mineral was discovered in the Urals. Russian malachites are considered the best, but the deposits are almost exhausted. Today jewelry chains present samples mainly from Africa.

Who are green stones suitable for: psychology and symbolism of color

In the East, green color is associated with life itself and symbolizes longevity and prosperity. It is believed that green stones have a healing effect and bring material prosperity to a person.

Green is the color of vitality, naturalness, renewal and harmony. Subconsciously, we perceive this color as a symbol of youth and development; it helps to improve our well-being.

According to the famous psychologist Max Luscher, there is a connection between a person’s personality traits and the color he chooses. Thus, green is preferred by people who are leaders, have great willpower, love power and money, and want to keep everything under control.

Jewelry with green gemstones

Green precious and semi-precious stones according to the old classification are actively used in jewelry. Emeralds, green sapphires, peridots and other minerals make excellent gold and silver jewelry. A gold frame is traditionally chosen for precious stones; silver is mainly used for jewelry inserts.

Green stones bring positive energy to their owner and soothe the eyes. Earrings or a necklace with emeralds, for example, can highlight the beauty of green eyes. Such jewelry can be combined with clothes in blue, black, light blue, and brown.

In the online store of the Moscow Jewelry Factory you will find various jewelry made of gold and silver with green precious stones.

What is more expensive: chrysolite or chrysoprase?

Description of peridot

Description of chrysoprase

Chrysolite and chrysoprase: how to distinguish

Application and care