Quartz var: Chalcedony var: Chrysoprase (classic locality)

Item Description

Here we have a fine polished specimen of this historic and wonderfully colorful Chrysoprase from the Szklary Chrysoprase Mine in Poland. The entry on mindat.org for this locality states that the Szklary Chrysoprase Mine was the first known occurrence for Chrysoprase and was mined as far back as the Middle Ages. For reference, Chrysoprase is defined as a variety of Chalcedony, which is already a variety of Quartz, and according to mindat.org, the color is caused by, "tiny inclusions of Ni-bearing layer silicates (willemseite, népouite or others)". You can see the piece has a glowing blue-green hue and it shows fantastic internal gemminess when backlit with excellent consistency of color throughout with no cracks or crazing. Specimens from the Szklary Chrysoprase Mine are not terribly common on the market today, and a piece with this kind of color and quality is quite desirable. Specimen weight is 120.6 grams.