Chrysocolla
“Turquoise's copper cousin”
Chrysocolla is a hydrated copper silicate mineral with a vivid cyan to blue-green color that rivals turquoise. It forms in the oxidation zones of copper deposits and has been used as a gemstone and ornamental material since antiquity, treasured by the ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Native Americans.
hydrated copper phyllosilicate ((Cu,Al)₂H₂Si₂O₅(OH)₄·nH₂O)
Morenci and Globe (Arizona, USA), Eilat (Israel), Democratic Republic of Congo, Chile, Peru, Cornwall (England)
2.5-3.5
Chrysocolla's name comes from Greek words meaning 'gold glue' — ancient goldsmiths used a copper-green mineral (likely chrysocolla) as flux for soldering gold.
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