gemstone
Chrysoprase
Chalcedony (Silicon Dioxide, SiO2)
Hardness: 6.5-7 on the Mohs scale; Color: Apple-green to dark green due to nickel impurities; Luster: Vitreous to waxy; Crystal structure: Trigonal (microcrystalline quartz)
- Hardness
- 6
- Color
- Apple-green to dark green due to nickel impurities
- Luster
- Vitreous to waxy
Identified More gemstone →
Explore Chrysoprase in the encyclopedia →Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness: 6.5-7 on the Mohs scale; Color: Apple-green to dark green due to nickel impurities; Luster: Vitreous to waxy; Crystal structure: Trigonal (microcrystalline quartz)
Formation & geological history
Formed by the weathering and dissolution of nickel-bearing serpentinites or other ultramafic rocks, typically in hydrothermal or supergene environments.
Uses & applications
Used primarily in jewelry, as cabochons, beads, and for ornamental carvings.
Geological facts
Chrysoprase is one of the most prized varieties of chalcedony. Its distinctive green color comes from tiny amounts of nickel-bearing silicates or oxides dispersed within the quartz matrix.
Field identification & locations
Can be identified by its distinctive apple-green color, waxy luster, and conchoidal fracture. Often found in deposits associated with nickel ores in Australia, Brazil, and the USA.
More like this
Other gemstone specimens
Gemstone Ring
N/A - Set piece of jewelry, likely Amethyst or Garnet with Diamond or CZ
gemstone
Diamond and Gold Jewelry
Carbon (Diamond) / Au (Gold)
gemstone
Ammolite
Ammolite (Biogenic Aragonite with trace elements; fossils of Placenticeras meeki and Placenticeras intercalare)
mineral
Cubic Zirconia (simulant) or Diamond
ZrO2 (Cubic Zirconia) or C (Diamond)
gemstone
Red Jasper
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) with Hematite inclusions
sedimentary
Black Opal Ring (Carved Opal)
Hydrated Silicon Dioxide (SiO2·nH2O)
gemstone