Colourful Rough Chrysocolla
This colourful stone was picked up during one of our many trips to South Africa.
Although it has a dull lustre, due to chrysocolla being very soft it has been protected with a fine coat of resin. This gives it a slightly lustrous appearance in certain light.
Chrysocolla can be found in a small number of locations worldwide including England but only in Cornwall.
Despite being widely used for decorative purposes it's a soft and fragile stone. On Mohs scale of mineral hardness pure chrysocolla grades 2.5 to 3.5.
It's often associated with other copper minerals including turquoise, malachite, azurite and quartz. When combined with quartz it can be much harder.
Ideally chrysocolla should be handled as little as possible.
