Also known as Gem Silica when 'gemmy', Chrysocolla is often confused with the gemstone Turquoise. Its name comes from the Greek 'chrysos' meaning gold and 'kolla' meaning glue and it was first used by the ancient writer Theophrastus in 315 B.C as a reference to materials used for soldering gold, one of which from the island of Cyprus, may have been identical to the mineral now known as Chrysocolla.
In its pure form, this gemstone is far too soft for use in jewellery but it is often found in Quartz deposits which makes it much harder and this can be used.
Chrysocolla was used by the early Native American Indians for healing and dealing with emotional challenges, it was also powdered and used as a digestive aid to improve the body's resistance to disease and to relieve arthritic symptoms. Victims and survivors used it to calm nerves and to cope with the loss of loved ones and to dispel fear. To this day it is believed to provide inner strength during periods of stress or grief and to promote harmony and eliminate negativity. Chrysocolla is also said to help balance blood sugar and can be used in the treatment of blood disorders, arthritis and the prevention of ulcers. It can be used to purify the home and environment and can work to eliminate negativity from within a person. It is a gemstone which imparts an energy conducive to stabilizing the home and re-building relationships.
Found in Israel, Democratic Republic of Congo, Chile, United Kingdom, USA, Mexico, Russia, Namibia, Australia, Greece and China, gemstones can be strikingly beautiful but being very soft and fragile they must be treated with great care otherwise they will crack or chip.
Graded 2.5 to 3.5 on Mohs scale of mineral hardness means that whilst Chrysocolla is a wonderful gemstone to use in jewellery, it must be treated with great care.
Further reading:
Chrysocolla
Chrysocolla
Chrysocolla
Chrysocolla
Our collection of Chrysocolla jewellery
| ← Charoite | Chrysoprase → |
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