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Chrysoberyl |
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Color range: yellow, green, color changing, red, blue-green,
greenish-yellow or brown
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The chrysoberyl family is best known for the more valuable
alexandrite and
cat's-eye varieties. Faceted
chrysoberyl is a beautiful gem that is not as well known in its own
right. Apart from the high hardness, it takes a good polish and
has a good luster. The name chrysoberyl comes from the Greek, chrysoberyl meaning
golden beryl. But chrysoberyl is harder and therefore
different from the classical gem beryl, which is much softer. It
is third only to corundum and
diamond in hardness. For such
a hard and durable material, chrysoberyl is relatively obscure and
the undervalued prices do not seem to reflect its utility as a
gemstone.
Chrysolite is another name given to the light greenish
yellow variety of chrysoberyl that was in fashion during the
nineteenth century.
A magnificent 47 carats chrysoberyl is listed in the catalog of the
British Museum of Natural History.
Chrysoberyl is said to promote kindness,
generosity, benevolence, hope, optimism, renewal, new beginnings, compassion
and forgiveness.
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