Knowledge
Most often seen as mineral specimens in specialist collections, chrysoberyl is also one of the hardest and most durable gemstones, and has been used in antique jewellery for centuries.
Gemstones
The Varieties of Chrysoberyl
Chrysoberyl forms in metamorphic rocks which contain beryllium. Their name derives from the Ancient Greek ‘chrysos’ meaning gold and ‘berullos’ meaning transparency but were often known in historic documents as cymophane. Despite their name, chrysoberyls are not related to the gem group beryl, although both groups do contain the element beryllium.
The gem group of chrysoberyl comprises three varieties, chrysoberyl, cat’s eye chrysoberyl and alexandrite.
£13,000
£6,600
Chrysoberyl
The first variety is the common yellow-green transparent gem. This type can vary in colour from an attractive golden yellow through to a mint green hue. Sri Lanka and Brazil were the locations of the mines of the best quality transparent gem material.
Cat’s Eye Chrysoberyl
The second variety is the translucent yellow chatoyant ‘cat's eye' or ‘cymophane' type. More commonly known as cat's eye chrysoberyl, this variety has dual ‘honey and milk' colouration when a light passes over the stone. This is caused by tiny needle-like inclusions within the stone creating a moving band of light.
This gem is cut en cabochon which displays this phenomenon to its best advantage. The cat's eye variety accounts for only a very small overall percentage of chrysoberyl found and as such is very valuable. Its value is then further determined by the strength of this phenomenon.
Alexandrite
The third type of chrysoberyl is alexandrite, an extremely rare colour change gem which is rich in chromium and appears green in fluorescent light or daylight and pink-purplish red in incandescent light. This effect is caused by the way the gem absorbs light. It can also, rarely, appear in conjunction with chatoyancy, which adds to its value.
It was discovered in 1830 and later named by Count Lev Alekseevich Perovskii in honour of the future Tsar Alexander II of Russia who came of age on the day they were first discovered. The original mine in the Ural region in Russia remains its most famous locality with the first deposits producing the finest gems with a strong colour change and vivid hues. However this mine has long been depleted. Colour change is most highly prized and large sizes over 2 carats are infrequently mined, with a gem over 5 carats an incredibly rare find.
Chrysoberyl in Jewellery
Chrysoberyl is an unusual and often unknown gem in jewellery, purely due to its rarity, although with a hardness of 8.5 on the Mohs scale it is ideal for this use.
Greenish yellow chrysoberyl from Minas Gerais in Brazil was used extensively in Portuguese jewellery throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, but of all three varieties, the chrysoberyl cat’s eye type has been appreciated for the longest dating back many thousands of years in Asia through to Ancient Rome.
There was renewed interest in this gemstone in the 19th century after the Duke of Connaught, Queen Victoria's third son, presented a cat's eye chrysoberyl engagement ring to Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia in 1860 and this popularity continued through the Victorian and Edwardian periods. Indeed, demand was so high that Ceylon (today Sri Lanka) where most were mined, could not keep up the supply.
Today, chrysoberyl can still be found in Brazil and Sri Lanka, with other sources including Myanmar, Tanzania, Madagascar, India, Australia and Russia.
At Berganza, our range of chrysoberyls include pieces from all varieties. We have an incredible collection of chrysoberyl rings, from stunning Victorian clusters to vintage signed pieces by Oscar Heyman Brothers.
One of the birthstones of June, this chrysoberyl bracelet by American jeweller J. E. Caldwell would make a wonderful and unique gift.
We also have a remarkable example of an alexandrite engagement ring, a beautiful antique ring that will be sure to capture your heart!
Amethyst
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Onyx
Zambian Emeralds
Siam Rubies
Alexandrite is the rarest type of chrysoberyl
These fabulous gems are thought to be imbued with the power to balance one's energy, improve eyesight, protect against evil and generally keep disaster at bay. They were used as a good luck charm in many cultures.
Depending on the variety, chrysoberyl can be expensive. Quality factors that have an impact on value include the vividness of colour, strength of phenomena and carat size.
