Treasure Hunting

Two minerals that are often confused by novice rock lovers are chrysocolla and turquoise. Both stones can be found in various shades of bluish-green and it’s not uncommon for both to be present in the same general localities. The easiest way to tell the two stones apart is by their hardness.

Although both chrysocolla and turquoise are softer stones, chrysocolla is much softer. Generally, chrysocolla ranks somewhere around 2.5-3.5 on the Mohs hardness scale and is in the same neighborhood as calcite. Turquoise, on the other hand, has a Mohs hardness between 5 and 6, similar to apatite or sodalite. The photograph to the left shows a sampling of chyrsocolla (credit: Grzegorz Framski, Wikimedia Commons) and the one below pictures a turquoise specimen (credit: Dave Dyet, Wikimedia Commons).

Both chrysocolla and turquoise can be found in many areas of the United States, particularly in the southwest. Arizona and Nevada are famous for their high-quality producing turquoise mines. Although turquoise is the more well-known of these two minerals, gem-quality chrysocolla can fetch a pretty penny. It’s pretty rare to find any chrysocolla in this category, but if you do, make sure you get your money’s worth.

It’s common practice in the commercial jewelry industry to treat both of these materials before using them in settings. So don’t be shocked if you buy a more natural piece from a crafter of handmade jewelry and find the stone isn’t as durable as you thought it would be.