Identification guide · Minerals
How to Identify Chrysoprase
Chrysoprase shows an apple-green to grayish-green color with a waxy to dull luster and a white streak, typical of chalcedony generally. It has a hardness of about 6.5 to 7, no cleavage, and a conchoidal fracture, occurring as massive, botryoidal, or nodular material rather than distinct crystals. A gentle heat test can reveal dye in imitation material, since natural chrysoprase color does not concentrate near surface cracks. It is often confused with dyed green chalcedony, prase, or green-dyed jasper.
Chrysoprase identification checklist
| Color | Apple-green, Green (sometimes with darker spots) | Look at a clean, dry surface in daylight. Color zoning, banding or spots are as diagnostic as the hue. |
|---|---|---|
| Luster | Waxy to vitreous | Fresh surfaces shine like glass; a dull surface usually means weathering, so chip or wet a corner. |
| Transparency | Translucent | Hold a thin edge up to a bright light and note whether light passes through. |
| Mohs hardness | 6.5–7 | It scratches glass and a steel knife and cannot be scratched by a steel file. |
| Streak | White | Drag a corner across unglazed porcelain (the back of a bathroom tile) and check the powder color. |
| Cleavage | None | |
| Fracture | Conchoidal | Broken surfaces show smooth, curved, shell-like scoops. |
| Specific gravity | 2.58–2.64 | Ordinary rock-like heft (specific gravity about 2.6100000000000003), similar to quartz. |
| Crystal system | Trigonal (cryptocrystalline) |
Extra tests for Chrysoprase
Glass check. Chrysoprase shares a glassy luster and conchoidal fracture with man-made glass. Glass sits near Mohs 5.5 and often contains round gas bubbles, so a hardness test and a hand lens separate them.
Chrysoprase look-alikes and how to tell them apart
Chrysoprase is harder (Mohs 6.5–7) than Calcite (Mohs 3), so Chrysoprase will scratch Calcite and not the other way round. A copper coin (Mohs 3.5) scratches it, but a fingernail does not. Chrysoprase vs Calcite →
Both sit near Mohs 6.5–7, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Chrysoprase vs Feldspar →
Both sit near Mohs 6.5–7, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Chrysoprase vs Aventurine →
Both sit near Mohs 6.5–7, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead.
Chrysoprase identification FAQ
How can you tell if a rock is Chrysoprase?
Check the color (apple-green and green (sometimes with darker spots)), the waxy to vitreous luster, a Mohs hardness of 6.5–7 and a white streak. Photographing it with the StoneSnap app gives a match in seconds.
What is the hardness of Chrysoprase?
Chrysoprase has a Mohs hardness of 6.5–7. It scratches glass and a steel knife and cannot be scratched by a steel file.
What is the difference between Chrysoprase and Calcite?
Chrysoprase (Mohs 6.5–7, waxy to vitreous luster) and Calcite (Mohs 3, vitreous luster) look alike, but hardness, streak and heft usually separate them. See the full Chrysoprase vs Calcite comparison for a side-by-side table.
Is Chrysoprase worth anything?
Entry-level Chrysoprase specimens sell for around $2, typical collector pieces about $20, and premium examples $150 or more depending on size, quality and locality.
What color is Chrysoprase?
Chrysoprase is most often apple-green and green (sometimes with darker spots). Color varies with impurities and locality, so confirm with hardness and luster rather than color alone.
