Gem Profile 4:   Chartreuse Chrysoberyl
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"Stealing the Limelight"

    The gem family known for two of the world's most coveted and expensive phenomenon gems, alexandrite and cat's-eye chrysoberyl, is about to cause another phenomenon- this time, in the realm of non-phenomenal stones.
      
    Not only that, this newcomer will add significantly to the fast-growing reputation of one of the world's most important but still little known gem reserves.
      
    Nearly two years ago, miners in Orissa, a vast coastal gem tact in India to the southwest of Calcutta, discovered an evenly balanced yellow-green chrysoberyl the likes of which had never been seen.  Stunned by its soft, sweet pistachio and kiwi hues, dealers here gave it a market name of chartreuse chrysoberyl.

       Maybe they should rechristen this lovely gem.  The word chartreuse conveys a color so vibrant it is almost clownish- the green of astro-turf as apposed to that of a spring meadow.  "Actually, the color is identical to that of Mountain Dew", says Eric Braunwart of Columbia Gem House in Vancouver, Washington.
     
      The color also closely resembles that of the melon honey dew.  This melon makes a perfect namesake, for there is nothing loud or garish about the color of this gem.  In fact, if you have been looking for a pastel blend of green and yellow with no brown or olive, no hint of harshness whatsoever, Orissa's newchrysoberyl may be what you had in mind- even if it was your mind's eye.  Until know, this color in a chrysoberyl was pretty much a dream.

"FROM FIELDS OF GOLD TO GREEN"

        Chrysoberly is not a gem family dealers tend to think of in a context of monochromatic colors.  And the few who do usually rhapsodize it for its rare golden-yellow varieties that vie in beauty with yellow sapphire.  Indeed, the name chrysoberyl is Greek-derived and means "golden beryl".  However, most non-phenomenal chrysoberyls I have ssen in that past had honey rather than golden tones and were from Brazil.  I should add that the fine transparent chrysoberyls I saw were quickly and easily overshadowed by exceptional examples of either alexandrite or cat's-eye chrysoberyl.  This is the first time that I have found a non-phenomenal transparent chrysoberyl as worthy of interest and praise as one of the special-effect kind.
       
    At present, Orissa's chartreuse chrysoberyls are available mostly in calibrated sizes between 1/2 and 1-1/2 carats, with individual sizes becoming rapidly rare over 3 carats and practically non-existant over 5 carats.  The 4.25ct trilliant pictured above is a treasure both from the standpoint of size and beauty.
      
     While light in tone, the sweet, bright colors of these stones five them a dramatic impact and justify their most typical prices between $150 and $200 per carat.  No doubt, some of the impact is due to radial cutting.  Braunwart, among others, is lavishing superb workmanship on his stones to heighten their appeal.  He can afford to.  Blessed with a hardness of 8-1/2, chrysoberyl takes a very high polish.  And with little or no inclusions, expect stones to be as clean as they are lustrous.  
    
       Although not overly abundant, this new gem is sufficiently available for one of the home shopping networks to take a chance with it.  We wish them, but wonder how the subtle color of this gem will appear on TV screens.  Nevertheless, with spring and summer here, jewelers have no better way to celebrate its coming than with the glistening yellow-green chrysoberyl whose marvelous color will remind admiring onlookers of young May foliage.

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