What does chrysocolla mean?
Chrysocolla is a soft, blue to blue-green mineral — a hydrated copper silicate — best known for the vivid color it lends to jewelry and ornamental objects. It typically forms rounded, grape-like (botryoidal) masses in the oxidized zones of copper ore deposits, where it commonly appears intergrown with other copper minerals such as malachite, azurite, and turquoise. Because it is quite soft and lacks good cleavage, chrysocolla is rarely cut into faceted gems; instead, it is polished into cabochons, beads, and carvings, often stabilized for durability. The name descends from Greek, combining words for 'gold' and 'glue,' reflecting the mineral's ancient use in gold-working, though the substance the ancients described may have differed from today's definition. For collectors and lapidaries, chrysocolla remains prized chiefly for its rich, watery blues and greens.
nounA soft, blue-green hydrated copper silicate mineral that forms as botryoidal masses in the oxidized zones of copper deposits, often used as an ornamental stone or gemstone.
- A soft blue-green hydrated copper silicate mineral, CuSiO3·nH2O, occurring as botryoidal masses in the oxidized zones of copper ore deposits and used as an ornamental stone and minor gemstone.
"The pendant was carved from a striking slab of chrysocolla veined with malachite."
"The museum's mineral hall displayed a gleaming botryoidal crust of chrysocolla beside the copper ores it accompanies."
"Artisans in the American Southwest set chrysocolla into silver rings alongside turquoise."
Rarely used; the plural appears only in scientific or trade contexts referring to multiple specimens or varieties of the mineral.
"The collection included chrysocollas from mines in Arizona, Peru, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo."
Its very name means 'gold glue' in ancient Greek — because thousands of years ago, this glittering blue-green mineral was used as flux in soldering gold.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chrysocolla
The word chrysocolla comes from the ancient Greek 'khrysokolla,' literally meaning 'gold glue,' formed from 'khrysos' (gold) and 'kolla' (glue). The term was applied by classical writers such as Theophrastus to a substance used in soldering gold, which was probably not identical to the modern mineral of the same name. The modern mineralogical usage was established much later, and the same Greek root 'kolla' also underlies English words like 'colloid' and 'collage.'
How chrysocolla is actually used
Chrysocolla is a technical term encountered chiefly in mineralogy, geology, gemology, and the gem-trade literature; it is uncountably used in general prose but may appear pluralized in scientific contexts referring to specimens or varieties. It carries no figurative or colloquial usage and is neutral in connotation.
Easily confused with chrysocolla
Chrysocolla resembles turquoise in its blue-green color but is a distinct copper silicate mineral that is softer and typically occurs in botryoidal rather than nodular form.
Malachite is a green copper carbonate, whereas chrysocolla is a blue to blue-green copper silicate, though the two frequently occur intergrown.