Chrysoprase is a well-known variety of massive quartz (i.e. chalcedony), which has been colored yellowish-green to bluish-green by the presence of nickel impurities within its crystal structure. As one of many gem materials prefixed by the Greek word for “golden”, chryso, chrysoprase hues are usually lighter in tone and brighter than those of its deep green counterpart, prase. However, the transitional point between these two chalcedony varieties has never been officially determined, and borderline cases are likely to be sold as the more valuable chrysoprase.

Today, around 85% of chrysoprase is mined in Australia, so when the material is employed to simulate jade it is usually sold under the misnomers “Australian jade” or “Queensland jade”. However, these two completely unrelated gem species can be easily differentiated by way of chrysoprase’s greater degree of translucency and lower density.