This gorgeous gem is a hydrated copper silicate. It forms near copper ore which is why this unusual specimen was found, more ore less, in my back yard of Bisbee, Arizona:
It forms often as small stalactites or a thin and unstable crust on the surfaces of rocks:
Other copper bearing minerals also occur alongside chrysocolla: malachite, cuprite, and azurite. Quartz occurrences are as ubiquitous as always. Fine specimens of chrysocolla in chalcedony are called gem silica:
And the occasional druzy happens:
Plain chrysocolla is a soft stone at 2.5-3.5 on the Moh's scale. This makes it unsuitable for rings and rough wear. Chrysocolla occuring in chalcedony is suitable for anything you might like to use quartz for.
12 comments:
Thanks for sharing your knowledge on such a gorgeous stone. Love the druzy chrysocolla.
Happy Earth Day.
Love Crysocolla! Thanks for sharing this information.
One of my favorites!
Nice background information - such a pretty stone!
Beautiful stones!
Its a gorgeous stone, great post.
Love the colours, instantly give me that Summer/holidays feeling :),thanks for the info.
Oh my...another post that has left me drooling all over my keyboard!
Beautiful colors, I love your posts about stones!
What a fantastically beautiful stone. Love the blues and the druzy is really cool!
I really enjoy your posts about the different stones and what makes them special and/or unique.
This is an amazing and beautiful stone. I love seeing them in the "raw" form.
Beautiful stones...this is one of my favorites...so many variations.
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