Chrysocolla: origin, meaning, virtues

Chrysocolla is a stone with a striking blue-green hue, highly prized in jewelry and lithotherapy since ancient times. With jewelry components and chrysocolla beads, you can create captivating DIY costume jewelry. Get inspired by our natural stone jewelry!

What does chrysocolla mean?

The name of this fine stone comes from the association of two Greek words, "chrysos" meaning "gold" and "kola" for "glue". It was so named because it has long been used as a flux for soldering gold.

Origin of chrysocolla

Chrysocolla has been known since antiquity. It was first described by the Greek philosopher Theophrastus in his Treatise on Stones.
In ancient Egypt, legend has it that Queen Cleopatra wore a chrysocolla stone. She attributed calming properties to this natural stone, ideal for her fiery temperament.

In some ancient cultures, it was ground into powder and used as a pigment for painting murals and coloring ceramics. During the Renaissance, painters used it as a watercolor pigment to design illuminations and parchments.

In South America, the Incas produced gold ornaments set with chrysocolla. They associated it with water, the nourishing element of nature.
Archaeologists have discovered chrysocolla jewelry in the tombs of pre-Inca mummies.

Anecdote: This gemstone is often associated with other copper-based stones:

• Eilat stone is a mixture of Chrysocolla, Turquoise and Malachite.
• When a quartz contains chrysocolla inclusions, the stone is called chrysocolla quartz.
• Azulite is a combination of chrysocolla, azurite, malachite, cuprite and dioptase.

What are the properties of chrysocolla?

This natural stone has a hardness ranging from 2 to 4 on the Mohs scale, making it very soft and brittle, difficult to work, and sensitive to heat and chemicals. It can easily be scratched by harder materials.
Its density is between 2 and 2.4 g/cm³.

What color is chrysocolla?

Its color ranges from light to dark green, through green-blue, brown, blue-green, turquoise blue, light blue and dark blue. It has a matt, vitreous lustre.
It is an opaque stone, sometimes translucent. The opacity of the stone varies according to where it was mined.

Because of its color, it is often confused with turquoise or malachite.

Where to find chrysocolla?

The main deposits are in the United States, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Australia, Scotland, Congo, Israel and France. This blue-green stone is found in copper mines, but also in smaller quantities in gold mines.

What are the virtues of chrysocolla?

In lithotherapy, chrysocolla is considered the stone of calm and tranquility. It is said to calm the mind and promote inner peace. It is also said to be a positive stone, neutralizing negative energies.

Which chakra for chrysocolla? Combined with the throat chakra, it promotes communication, inner dialogue and better self-awareness.
It can also be worked with the heart chakra to open up to others and bring joie de vivre, cheerfulness and benevolence.

It's the ideal stone for Gemini, Libra and Sagittarius.

Please note: our gemstones are not sold for lithotherapy. The effects of stones have not been scientifically proven. Natural stones are no substitute for medical expertise or treatment.

How do I recharge a chrysocolla stone?

Chrysocolla is a fragile stone. To clean it, use soapy water and a soft-bristled toothbrush. Then wipe well with a soft cloth. To avoid scratching or damaging the stone, store it in a box or pouch.

As with all other stones, lithotherapists recommend purifying and recharging this gemstone to restore its full energy and potential.
To purify it, you can run it underclear water for a few minutes, use the vibrations of a traditional Tibetan bowl or sage fumigations.
This natural stone is sensitive to high temperatures. To recharge it, expose it to the moon's rays overnight. To amplify this action, you can place it on a quartz cluster.

How to use chrysocolla stone

Chrysocolla's blue-green hue works well with silver. Add it to 925 Silver or Stainless Steel jewelry primers and components to create beautiful DIY costume jewelry. But there's nothing to stop you mounting jewelry with Gold Filled, Gold Plated, Gold Stainless Steel or 925 Sterling Silver gilded with fine gold if you prefer the color gold.

Which stones to wear with chrysocolla? To reinforce its action on the throat chakra, it can be associated with turquoise, larimar or lapis lazuli.
To influence the heart chakra, it can be linked with jade, amazonite or malachite.
To fully appreciate the benefits of chrysocolla, lithotherapists recommend not wearing it with stones that are too powerful or have a contrary energy. Such is the case with obsidian or citrine.