Chrysoprase & Pink Opal Double Braid Bracelet

Description

Chrysoprase is a cryptocrystalline quartz, meaning its crystals are so small that they are indistinguishable under normal magnification. The light apple, mint and deep green colors come from trace amounts of nickle present during the formation process. Chrysoprase takes it’s name from the Greek word ‘chrysos’, meaning gold, and ‘prasos’, meaning leek; the name Australian Jade in turn is due to that fact that most of the world’s chrysoprase is found in Australia. Discovered in Marlborough in the early 1900s and commercially mined since the 1960s, much of the material found in Marlborough found its way to the People’s Republic of China as a popular jade substitute; leading to the misnomer. Possesses a soft translucence and prized for its bright, even color and texture.

Pink opal is a particularly interesting stone. Known for its delicate pink hues, this gemstone is a variety of common opal, a mineraloid composed of primarily hydrated silica. Pink Opal has a non-crystalline structure and forms like other opals through the desposition of hydrated silica into voids or fissures within rocks called vesicles. It’s commonly found in sedimentary rocks, especially in regions with historical volcanic activity. The pink colors are believed to be the result of trace amounts of iron and organic compounds within the silica structure.

Notable deposits of Pink Opal are in Mexico, Nevada and Oregon, Australia, and the Andes Mountains of Peru where it enjoys a rich cultural history and has been mined for centuries. The Incans believed the stone to be a sacred gift from the goddess Pachamama and that it contains her nurturing and life-giving energies. It has been used as a symbol of fertility and growth in the region for hundreds of years as a result.