The Earth Story

Chrysocolla pseudomorph Pseudomorphs are crystals of a mineral that have replaced another, often as the geochemical or temperature conditions change in hot hydrothermal fluids moving deep within the Earth or as these solutions permeate different rocks from the ones that they originated in. In this case, beautiful crystals of the hydrated copper silicate chrysocolla (see http://tinyurl.com/qz8dvsx) have replaced crystals of the evaporite mineral (resulting from evaporation of lakes or inland seas in arid environments) gypsum. Loz Image credit: Jake Slagle

Chrysocolla

When grey or golden copper sulphide minerals are oxidised by exposure to hydrothermal fluids, they often form beautiful blue and green secondary minerals. Chryosocolla is one of them, a complex hydrated copper aluminium silicate, often occurring in vugs (the empty centre of geodes and veins) interspersed in the copper deposit. The name dates from antiquity, coming from the Greek chryso (gold) and colla (glue), since it was traditionally used as a flux to separate gold from its ore by smelting. It is very fragile, and most jewellery material is included in something more solid such as quartz or opal. Its existence as a mineral has been questioned, since spectroscopy hints that it might be a mixture of micro crystalline silica (chalcedony) and the copper mineral spertiniite. It is found in Israel, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chile, and the USA, all in association with copper mining areas.

This specimen measures 3.7 x 3.2 x 3.0 cm, and was mined in Arizona.

Loz

Image credit: Rob Lavinsky/iRocks.com

http://webmineral.com/data/Chrysocolla.shtml#.UuIPObR9LIU http://www.mindat.org/min-1040.html

Dioptase crystals. While we covered this beautiful green copper silicate in more detail some time ago (see http://tinyurl.com/n4lj2nc), we just had to share this stunning two crystal ensemble on chrysocolla. This specimen from Namibia measures 3x2x1 cm. Loz

Chrysocolla, with a coating of agate

When grey or golden copper sulphide minerals are oxidised by exposure to hydrothermal fluids, they often form beautiful blue and green secondary minerals. Chryosocolla is one of them, a complex hydrated copper aluminium silicate, often occurring in vugs (the empty centre of geodes and veins) interspersed in the copper deposit. The name dates from antiquity, coming from the Greek chryso (gold) and colla (glue), since it was traditionally used as a flux to separate gold from its ore by smelting.

It is very fragile, and most jewellery material is included in something more solid such as quartz or opal (in this case microcrystalline quartz, or chalcedony). Its existence as a mineral has been questioned, since spectroscopy hints that it might be a mixture of micro crystalline silica (chalcedony) and the copper mineral spertiniite. It is found in Israel, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chile, and the USA (Arizona, whence comes the 9.0 x 7.0 x 6.0 cm specimen in the photo) , all in association with copper mining areas.

Loz

Image credit: Joe Budd/Rob Lavinsky/iRocks.com

http://webmineral.com/data/Chrysocolla.shtml#.UuIPObR9LIU http://www.mindat.org/min-1040.html

Chrysocolla - poorly crystalline, hydrothermal copper mineral

Chrysocolla pseudomorph Pseudomorphs are crystals of a mineral that have replaced another, often as the geochemical or temperature conditions change in hot hydrothermal fluids moving deep within the Earth or as these solutions permeate different rocks from the ones that they originated in. In this case, beautiful crystals of the hydrated copper silicate chrysocolla (seehttp://tinyurl.com/qz8dvsx) have replaced crystals of the evaporite mineral (resulting from evaporation of lakes or inland seas in arid environments) gypsum. Loz Image credit: Jake Slagle

Chrysocolla When grey or golden copper sulphide minerals are oxidised by exposure to hydrothermal fluids, they often form beautiful blue and green secondary minerals. Chryosocolla is one of them, a complex hydrated copper aluminium silicate, often occurring in vugs (the empty centre of geodes and veins) interspersed in the copper deposit. The name dates from antiquity, coming from the Greek chryso (gold) and colla (glue), since it was traditionally used as a flux to separate gold from its ore by smelting. It is very fragile, and most jewellery material is included in something more solid such as quartz or opal. Its existence as a mineral has been questioned, since spectroscopy hints that it might be a mixture of micro crystalline silica (chalcedony) and the copper mineral spertiniite. It is found in Israel, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chile, and the USA, all in association with copper mining areas. This specimen measures 3.7 x 3.2 x 3.0 cm, and was mined in Arizona. Loz Image credit: Rob Lavinsky/iRocks.com http://webmineral.com/data/Chrysocolla.shtml#.UuIPObR9LIU http://www.mindat.org/min-1040.html