4.71 Ct. Bluish Green Prasiolite from Brazil

This prasiolite presented by The Natural Gemstone Company is a transparent, oval shaped gem, weighing 4.71 carats, with precise dimensions of 12.25 by 10.06 by 6.72 millimeters. The cutting style is faceted, executed in a mixed brilliant cut that combines step facets on the pavilion with brilliant facets on the crown to balance light return and scintillation. The stone displays a bluish green hue with intense color saturation, and the face up presentation is vivid and well balanced across the table. The piece exhibits an excellent polish, allowing clean facet junctions and unimpeded light transmission, and originates from Brazil. The color has been produced by irradiation, a widely used enhancement for prasiolite that yields stable and attractive green tones when applied and subsequently annealed under controlled conditions.

Optical performance of this oval prasiolite reflects the intention of the mixed brilliant geometry, the crown and pavilion proportions working together to emphasize depth of color without sacrificing brilliance. With the measured depth relative to the average of the length and width, the proportions fall into a range that produces a visually pleasing spread on the finger or in a pendant, with an overall depth percentage of approximately sixty percent. The mixed brilliant cut optimizes scintillation under direct light, while preserving broad flashes of color in softer illumination. The excellent polish enhances the stone clarity and brightness, contributing to clean reflections from facet faces and a refined overall appearance suitable for fine jewelry applications.

Clarity is graded as eye clean when evaluated at standard viewing distances, which means no inclusions are readily visible to the unaided eye under normal inspection. Under magnification, however, the internal features typical of natural quartz varieties become evident, and these features act as unique identifiers that add to the gem character. Common internal characteristics in prasiolite and related quartz types include tiny two phase fluid inclusions comprised of microscopic liquid and gas pockets, narrow growth zoning lines that reflect the crystallographic history, healed fractures or veils where the crystal partially sealed previous breaks, and occasional mineral inclusions such as fine needle like rutile, minute hematitic platelets, or iron oxide particles. Negative crystals, which are cavity shaped inclusions formed by trapped crystals that have since dissolved, and fine, planar color zoning can also be present in some stones. These inclusion types do not detract from the attractiveness of an eye clean prasiolite, rather they provide a natural fingerprint that supports identification, links the specimen to natural formation processes, and offers a microscopic narrative of the stone origin.

From a practical perspective, prasiolite is a durable form of quartz with a Mohs hardness of seven, which makes this 4.71 carat oval well suited to a broad range of jewelry settings, including rings, earrings, pendants, and brooches, provided the setting offers appropriate protection against hard knocks. For daily wear, settings that protect the girdle and edges are recommended, particularly for rings. Care and maintenance are straightforward, warm soapy water and a soft brush will safely remove surface deposits and restore luster, and drying with a soft cloth preserves the polish. Caution is advisable with intense heat, abrupt temperature changes, or exposure to harsh chemicals, and prolonged direct sunlight may affect color stability over extended periods, so storage away from direct sunlight is prudent. Documentation of origin, enhancement, and the eye clean clarity grade is available from The Natural Gemstone Company, and the presence and nature of internal features can be illustrated on request with magnified photography or microscopic observations to support appraisal, setting decisions, and informed ownership.