From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

Chrysocolla

Phyllosilicate mineral

Field	Value
name	Chrysocolla
category	Phyllosilicate minerals
boxbgcolor	#36cacb
image	Chrysocolla-230109.jpg
caption	Chrysocolla specimen from Ray mine, in the Scott Mountain area of Mineral Creek District, Pinal County, Arizona, US
formula	(x
IMAsymbol	Ccl
strunz	9.ED.20
unit cell	a = 5.7 Å, b = 8.9 Å,
c = 6.7 Å; Z = 1
color	Blue, cyan (blue-green), green, dark blue to black, brown, rarely yellow
habit	Massive, nodular, botryoidal
system	Orthorhombic
Unknown space group
cleavage	none
fracture	Irregular/uneven, sub-conchoidal
tenacity	Brittle to sectile
mohs	2.5–3.5 (7 for chrysocolla chalcedony, high-silica content)
luster	Vitreous to dull
refractive	nα = 1.575–1.585 nβ = 1.597 nγ = 1.598–1.635
opticalprop	Biaxial (−)
birefringence	δ = 0.023–0.050
streak	White to a blue-green color
gravity	1.9–2.4
diaphaneity	Translucent to opaque
references

c = 6.7 Å; Z = 1 Unknown space group

Chrysocolla ( ) is a hydrous copper phyllosilicate mineral and mineraloid with the formula (x

The structure of the mineral has been questioned, as a 2006 spectrographic study suggest material identified as chrysocolla may be a mixture of the copper hydroxide spertiniite and chalcedony.

Chrysocolla typically forms amorphously.

History

The name chrysocolla comes from the Ancient Greek () and (), meaning "gold" and "glue" respectively, in allusion to the name of the material used to solder gold. The word was first used by Theophrastus in 315 BC.

Geology

Chrysocolla has a cyan (blue-green) color and is a minor ore of copper, having a hardness of 2.5 to 7.0. It is of secondary origin and forms in the oxidation zones of copper ore bodies. Associated minerals are quartz, limonite, azurite, malachite, cuprite, and other secondary copper minerals. It is typically found as botryoidal or rounded masses and crusts, or vein fillings.

A 2006 study has produced evidence that chrysocolla may be a microscopic mixture of the copper hydroxide mineral spertiniite, amorphous silica and water.

Jewelry

Due to being somewhat more common than turquoise, its wide availability, and vivid, beautiful blue and blue-green colors, chrysocolla has been popular for use as a gemstone for carvings and ornamental use since antiquity. It is often used in silversmithing and goldsmithing in place of turquoise and is relatively easy to work and shape. Chrysocolla exhibits a wide range of Mohs hardness ranging from 2 through 7, which is dependent on the amount of silica incorporated into the stone when it is forming. Generally, dark navy blue chrysocolla is too soft to be used in jewelry, while cyan, green, and blue-green chrysocolla can have a hardness approaching 6, similar to turquoise. Chrysocolla chalcedony is a heavily silicified form of chrysocolla that forms in quartz deposits and can be very hard and approach a hardness of 7.

Gallery

Chrysocolla-Tyrolite-Clinotyrolite-202106.jpg|Powder-blue chrysocolla as stalactitic growths and as a thin carpet in vugs inside a boulder of nearly solid tyrolite, from the San Simon Mine, Iquique Province, Chile (size: 14.1 ×) Chrysocolla-201585.jpg|Banded white to blue green chrysocolla, from Bisbee, Arizona (size: 12.2 ×) Chrysocolla-bolo.jpg|Chrysocolla and silver bolo tie. This chrysocolla specimen is from the Kennecot Copper Mine in Bingham Canyon, West Valley City, Utah. Brochantite-Chrysocolla-k329b.jpg|Brochantite (emerald green) and chrysocolla, from the Rokana Mine, Zambian Copperbelt

References

Warr, L. N.. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". [[Mineralogical Magazine]].
"Chrysocolla".
"Chrysocolla".
{{Mindat
Barthelmy, Dave. "Chrysocolla Mineral Data".
Chen, Chermaine. (2021-09-02). "Chrysocolla Stone: Meaning, Uses & Other Facts about this Blue Green Crystal".
{{cite EB1911. Leonard James. Spencer
[http://www.slac.stanford.edu/cgi-wrap/getdoc/slac-pub-12232.pdf François Farges, Karim Benzerara, Gordon E. Brown, Jr.; ''Chrysocolla Redefined as Spertiniite''; SLAC-PUB-12232; 13th International Conference On X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS13); July 9-14, 2006; Stanford, California]
"Gem Silica: The blue, most valuable variety of chalcedony".
"Chrysocolla: The gemstone chrysocolla information and pictures".
"Chrysocolla Value, Price, and Jewelry Information - IGS".

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

copper-ores phyllosilicates orthorhombic-minerals gemstones blendes

Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about Chrysocolla — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report