Does Chrysoprase Jewelry Fade?
Should you wear chrysoprase jewelry only at night to protect the gem’s striking green color? Learn the facts here.
Question
From different sources, I've heard that chrysoprase fades in sunlight or heat. How sensitive is it? Does normal daytime wear affect the stone color? Should chrysoprase be worn mostly at night to preserve its vivid color? Can the color fade completely to the point that the stone reverts, so to speak, to white chalcedony?
Thank you in advance,
Cyril H. Despointes
Answer
If the chrysoprase gem's color is natural and not dyed, it won't fade. My dad bought a top quality 2-kg seam of Aussie material back in the late Fifties. It was the first really good material I got to work on when I started cabbing. Both my dad and I have jewelry pieces crafted in the mid Sixties that are just as vibrant as the day they were cut. Dad wears his ring every day, and we get a fair amount of sun here in Southern California.
Howard Denghausen
International Gem Society
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