Chrysoberyl and diamond ring, 1950s. Chrysoberyl is a beautiful stone with a venerable history. Treasured for its shades of golden brown through to bright yellowish green, chrysoberyl rose to prominence in Spain and Portugal in the 1700s, and a colour-change variety known as Alexandrite became world-famous upon its discovery in Russia in the following 19^th century. This ring, of high quality French manufacture, is set with a brilliant-cut chrysoberyl displaying a complex yet saturated golden greenish-brown tone, within a border of similarly cut white diamonds – a classic design with an unusual twist.