There are few stones that have grabbed my eye and my interest the way that chrysoprase has done. This vibrant green gem was prized by Cleopatra and Alexander the great. It found its way around Elizabeth Taylor's neck and yet is still completely unknown to many people. 

A normal chrysoprase interaction for me involves a new client seeing this gem in one of my pieces in the case.  After some "Wow!" "Gorgeous!!" and "Incredible!!"  The first question "Is that Jade?" is followed by me telling them what it is and we go back and forth for a few rounds of 
"Chrysoprase."  
"Chrystopase?"
"Chrys-O-Prase"
"Chrysophrase?"
"Chrys like chrysanthemum. O like oh my goodness. And Prase like Praise the lord we are on the last leg of learning how to say this gems name."

It is a green like nothing else. The color haunts me and I find myself unable to walk past a good unmounted piece without stopping to purchase it. It is a bit of an addiction which I am all too happy to maintain. 

It will grab certain people by the retinas and refuse to let go. They are pulled in like ducks to water.  Quack. Quack.

This is it with the gold settings soldered in place. There is so much flux on the lower half that it makes it hard to even see that the pear shaped setting is 22ky gold. Next step is to clean it in acid and then set the stones and engrave.

This is a pendant in progress for a commission. In this picture all the sawing and most of the soldering is done. I still need to sand the edges of all the ornament, add the engraving which will breathe life into the design, and solder on the gold settings. The finished piece will have a rose cut blue tanzanite pear as the main stone and a small round rose cut blue sapphire as an accent on the top center. 

Here it is all set up to solder in the setting base from the back of the pendant.