Chrysocolla

Chrysocolla is a hydrated copper phyllosilicate mineral. The structure of the mineral questioned. Spectrographic studies suggest material identified as chrysocolla may be a mixture of the copper hydroxide spertiniite and chalcedony.

Chrysocolla has a cyan (blue-green) color and is a minor ore of copper, having a hardness of 2.5 to 3.5.

The name comes from the Ancient Greek: chrysos kolla, “gold glue”, in allusion to the name of the material used to solder gold, and was first used by Theophrastus in 315 BCE.