Cornwall Chrysoprase Signet
THE STORY:
Modern + chic, bold + classy. Never have we ever coveted a signet like this beauty! With a bold Chrysoprase stone set in 14k gold, we'll be dreaming of this ring for years to come.
Called the stone of Venus, is the rarest and most valuable rich apple-green gemstone in the chalcedony family and was often mistaken for emeralds by ancient jewelers. Unlike emeralds, which owe their color to the presence of chromium, the bright spring green of chrysoprase is a result of trace amounts of nickel.
Chrysoprase was used by the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians to make seals, signets, jewelry and other ornamental objects because of its vivid color. The modern word comes from the literal Greek translation "chrusos", meaning golden, and "prason", meaning leek, indicating the golden-leek green color of the stone.
Alexander III, an ancient Greek king of Macedonia, was one of the most successful, undefeated military commanders in Greek history. A strange story regarding a chrysoprase stone reputed to have been worn by Alexander is related by a Dominican friar named Albertus Magnus.
According to Magnus, Alexander always wore a girdle into battle that was embedded with a bright chrysoprase stone. On his return from a successful campaign in India, he laid aside his girdle to bathe in the Euphrates River. While the girdle lay unattended, a serpent came and bit off the stone and dropped it into the water. Alexander III didn't win another campaign after loosing this precious talisman.
After the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen in the early 1920s, the well-known Art Nouveau period, which celebrated exotic sensuality and romanticism, came to life in prolific glory. Chrysoprase was used extensively during this Nouveau era with Egyptian revival jewelry that mimicked the vast treasures of the newly discovered pharaoh's tomb.
COMPOSITION
All of our modern heirlooms are designed with elements mostly from the late 1800s - 1920s and the highest quality solid gold and gold-filled components. To learn more about different types of gold and composition, check out our Gold Jewelry Guide.
CARE
We make, design, and restore each piece of jewelry with the hope you will love and enjoy your modern heirlooms for many years to come. Check out our Jewelry Care Guide for tips on how to care for your pieces so they last a lifetime.
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