Chrysocolla Archives - Cochise College Geology

Chrysocolla

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Chemical Group: Silicate

Chemical Formula: CuSiO₃.2H₂O

Color: Green or blue Streak: White

Luster: Vitreous or waxy

Hardness: 2 to 4 Specific Gravity: 2 to 2.5

Cleavage: None Fracture: Conchoidal

Crystal Forms and Habits: Orthorhombic system. Crystals are extremely rare and very small

Mineral Associations: Commonly found with Malachite and Tenorite, sometimes with Azurite. Most of what is called Chrysocolla is really chalcedony with Chrysocolla. Chrysocolla also occurs as pseudomorphs after Azurite crystals.

Identifying Characteristics: Waxy blue surface, often showing desiccation cracks.

Uses: Minor ore of copper. If solid enough it becomes a nice gemstone

USA occurrences
Arizona: Miami and Inspiration, Globe, Bagdad, Cole Shaft, Bisbee
Harquahala Mountains

WORLD-WIDE occurrences
Chile
England: Cornwall
France
Russia: Ural Mountains

Toxicity: When-swallowed: low When-inhaled: high

Additional Information: Chrysocolla comes from the words chryso (gold) and kolla (glue); the name is in reference to a process in which minute specks of gold were attached to jewelry using powdered Chrysocolla and an organic glue. When heated, copper was released which then formed an alloy with the gold.

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Photos

Chrysocolla 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65

chrysocolla- greenish blue in breccia — Chrysocolla - Greenish Blue In Breccia

Chrysocolla - Blue and Green- Bagdad Arizona

Chrysocolla - Blue Banded - Bagdad Arizona

chrysocolla-blue in breccia with black tenorite — Chrysocolla - Blue In Breccia With Black Tenorite

chrysocolla-blue in breccia-Courtland Arizona — Chrysocolla - Blue In Breccia - Courtland Arizona

chrysocolla-blue in breccia-Morenci Arizona — Chrysocolla - Blue In Breccia - Morenci Arizona

chrysocolla-blue in breccia with green malachite — Chrysocolla - Blue - In Breccia With Green Malachite

chrysocolla-blue massive in breccia — Chrysocolla - Blue Massive In Breccia

chrysocolla-blue with drusy quartz — Chrysocolla - Blue With Drusy Quartz

Chrysocolla - Blue With Green Malachite - Bagdad Arizona

Chrysocolla - Blue - Botryoidal - Courtland Arizona

Chrysocolla - Blue - Glassy - Morenci Arizona

chrysocolla-blue-Bagdad Arizona — Chrysocolla - Blue - Bagdad Arizona

chrysocolla-green malachite vug with chrysocolla and drusy quartz — Chrysocolla - Green Malachite Vug With Chrysocolla And Drusy Quartz

Chrysocolla - Greenish Blue With Drusy Quartz

Chrysocolla - Greenish Blue With Drusy Quartz - Bagdad Arizona

chrysocolla-greenish blue-botryoidal with black tenorite — Chrysocolla - Greenish Blue - Botryoidal With Black Tenorite

chrysocolla-greenish blue with drusy quartz-Miami Arizona — Chrysocolla - Greenish Blue With Drusy Quartz - Miami Arizona

Chrysocolla - Greenish Blue – Botryoidal

chrysocolla-pale blue-crystal pseudomorph — Chrysocolla - Pale Blue - Crystal Pseudomorph

chrysocolla-light blue with drusy quartz — Chrysocolla - Light Blue With Drusy Quartz

chrysocolla-pale blue-crystal pseudomorphs — Chrysocolla - Pale Blue - Crystal Pseudomorphs

chrysocolla-pale bluish green-massive — Chrysocolla - Pale Bluish Green - Massive

chrysocolla-pale blue-massive in breccia — Chrysocolla - Pale Blue - Massive In Breccia

chrysocolla-pale green coating — Chrysocolla - Pale Green Coating

chrysocolla-pale green pseudomorphs after crystals-Miami Arizona — Chrysocolla - Pale Green Pseudomorphs After Crystals - Miami Arizona

chrysocolla-replacing hemimorphite crystals — Chrysocolla - Replacing Hemimorphite Crystals

Chrysocolla - Replacing Selenite Crystals

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