There's plenty to love about fine jewelry, but did you know that we're still finding new gemstones nobody has ever seen before? Enter the peacock aquaprase, just when you thought you'd already seen it all.

Ever wonder what a piece of quartz crossed with turquoise would look like? Wonder no more: a fairly recent discovery in gemology has taken the world by storm; everybody is clamoring to get a piece of something called the peacock aquaprase in their collection, and with good reason. 

So, what? Has this thing just been waiting around unseen in Sub-Saharan Africa? How did this discovery come about? 

Discovering the Peacock Aquaprase

The peacock aquaprase was seen by Western eyes for the first time entirely by chance in 2016 - the guy who made the discovery goes by Yianni Melas, a seasoned professional in the field of gemology. 

He was visiting a friend in Africa when he noticed something unusual in his home: a stone, weathered and rugged, in such a degraded condition that its blue inner glow could only just barely be discerned. He held it up to the light - the cerulean interplay changed instantly to vivid green. What exactly was going on here? 

The locals recognized the unusual stone as opal, or one of a number of other types of geode that it resembled partly, but not entirely. When he submitted the specimen to a lab for analysis, they said it was chrysoprase, nothing more. Melas, however, remained adamant. After much pushing and prodding, he eventually had the piece sent to the Gemological Institute of America for one last opinion. The results were shocking. 

After three months, they conceded to the fact that the stone was like nothing they had ever seen before. Melas decided to call it an “aquaprase”, “aqua” meaning blue sea, and “prase” for the green hue it takes on in the light. 

In order to keep operations miner-friendly and non-exploitative, Melas buys every aquaprase mined in Africa personally and distributes them as he sees fit. 

Le Vian and the Cutting Edge of Jewelry

At the helm of the aquaprase movement? Le Vian – they’ve taken a vested interest in the new gemstones and produce a number of pieces featuring the beautiful new treasure. Melas highly recommends that manufacturers buy the aquaprase still embedded in the matrix (that’s just a fancy word for the surrounding material the stone has formed in). 

While traditional gemologists pare this area away before treating the stone and eventually selling it, Melas believes that preserving the aquaprase’s natural state is ideal both from an ecological and an aesthetic standpoint. “Matching” earrings can be produced by cutting the matrix along with the peacock aquaprase, providing two pieces reflecting the same shape and intrinsic design. The final look is difficult to deny, that’s for sure. 

Shop Le Vian and More at Frank Jewelers this Spring

The selection of other wares by Le Vian here at Frank’s will be hard to beat in the Freeport, Illinois area. We offer a hearty catalog full of incredible Le Vian fashion rings, bracelets, pendant necklaces, and gorgeous earrings, all perfect for spring this year.