The gemstone Chrysocolla is often confused with turquoise. It is a copper bearing mineral found wherever copper deposits occur especially in areas of the southwestern USA, Chili, Zaire, Australia, France and England and Peru. Chrysocolla is frequently found in the southwest United States, especially Arizona, and it is often a clue to ore prospectors that copper deposits may be nearby.
Named from the Greek chrysos - "gold" and kolla - "glue" in allusion to the name of the material used to solder gold. Colors in Chrysocolla range from blue to green to blue-green, with sometimes black or brown. Like Azurite, Chrysocolla often occurs mixed with Malachite, Turquoise and Azurite, resulting in unusually beautiful gemstones.
Pure chrysocolla is too soft for jewelry purposes but it is often found in quartz deposits which makes it hard enough to polish for beads. Chrysocolla is also often "agatized" in chalcedony quartz. The quartz provides the stone with its polish and durability. A famous form of this came from Mexico many years ago. It was called Parrot Wing. Another form known as Drusy Chrysocolla is often found with sparkling little crystals of white quartz on one or more faces. This impregnation of quartz adds a hardness and stability to this soft mineral. Polished specimens that show the vivid blue-green of chrysocolla and sparkling drusy quartz on top, can be quite pretty.
Chrysocolla is another one of Copper's crystal offspring. This hydrated Copper crystal has two distinct personalities. The highest quality of Chrysocolla is known as Gem Silica. In its purest form, Chrysocolla is brittle, soft and unsuitable for jewelry and such, without undergoing enhancements. However, if silica is available to "agatize" a Chrysocolla specimen, the resulting crystal is an enchanting stone, hard enough to cut into jewelry, spheres and unique carvings.
Chrysocolla is associated with tranquility and peace, intuition, patience, and unconditional love. It is thought to offer gentle and soothing qualities.
