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UnderstandWhat it is, what people ask, how far this page goes
Natural inorganic gem materials · Commercial / trade name · Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Chrysocolla Chalcedony
Also known asGem Silica
Green to blue, translucent Chalcedony coloured by copper or by fine Chrysocolla inclusions. The bulk is Chalcedony (Quartz), not Chrysocolla itself. This page compares how the major standards and institutions name it, what must be disclosed when selling it, whether it can be worn every day, how it is treated and identified, and which source each conclusion comes from.
Price, rarity and origin are outside the scope of this wiki.
What this page can answer
This page covers
- How Chrysocolla Chalcedony forms and what gives its colourFormation setting, process and timescale, each finding graded and sourced
- How to identify Chrysocolla ChalcedonyIdentification points from the research literature; how far lab testing can go
- Caring for and wearing Chrysocolla ChalcedonyDurability indicators and wearing advice
- Hardness, density and refractive index of Chrysocolla ChalcedonyEach value with its source and check date
- Chrysocolla Chalcedony in English, Chinese and Japanese; national standard namesNames in four languages, the GB/T standard name and the suggested listing name; and: Which of GIA, FTC, CIBJO and Gem-A have a name for it on record, and do those agree?
- Name origin and history of Chrysocolla ChalcedonyWhere the name comes from
- Listing and disclosing Chrysocolla ChalcedonyThe listing name to use; what must be disclosed before sale
What we cannot conclude
- Whether one particular bead is natural, treated or synthetic — only a laboratory report can settle that.
- Geographic origin, unless an origin report accompanies the item.
- Price, rarity or investment value: this wiki covers naming and disclosure only.
Material research: formation, causes and history
What authoritative sources say about how this material forms, what causes its colour and optical effects, where its name comes from and how people have used it. Each statement carries an evidence grade and its sources; it describes the material in general, not any specific piece.
How it forms
Chrysocolla chalcedony (also called gem silica) is green to blue-green translucent chalcedony (cryptocrystalline quartz) whose colour comes from chrysocolla (or copper); its base is therefore quartz/chalcedony, not an independent mineral species. Its formation has two parts: chalcedony is cryptocrystalline silica precipitated from silica-bearing fluids in open cavities (e.g. gas cavities of volcanic rocks) and filling inward; chrysocolla occurs in the oxidized portions of copper deposits, associated with malachite, tenorite, etc. Raman work on the GIA sample identified the blue portion as chrysocolla, the whitish-to-transparent parts as quartz, and the transparent cryptocrystalline parts as chalcedony. Material like this commonly has to be impregnated with polymer so that it does not crumble while being cut and polished; a GIA report would describe the treatment as 'impregnated' or, where the polymer makes up a significant share of volume or surface area, possibly as 'composite'.
Scope: Applies to explaining the identity, composition, parent-material origin and common impregnation treatments of chrysocolla chalcedony as chalcedony containing chrysocolla (the host being quartz); not applicable to determining the specific locality, degree of treatment or value from the name.
Sources G&G Fall 2013 · G&G Spring 2015 · Handbook of Mineralogy
Where it forms
Chalcedony forms in open cavities such as gas cavities of volcanic rocks, filled by silica-bearing fluids.
Sources G&G Fall 2013 · Handbook of Mineralogy
Chrysocolla occurs in the oxidized portions of copper deposits.
Sources G&G Fall 2013 · Handbook of Mineralogy
How it forms, step by step
Silica-bearing fluids precipitate cryptocrystalline silica (chalcedony) in open cavities.
Sources G&G Spring 2015 · Handbook of Mineralogy
Chrysocolla forms in the oxidized zones of copper deposits, associated with malachite and others.
Sources G&G Spring 2015 · Handbook of Mineralogy
Chrysocolla intergrows with chalcedony to form the green to blue-green material; it is often polymer-impregnated for cutting.
Sources G&G Spring 2015 · Handbook of Mineralogy
Link to appearance
It appears as a green to blue-green translucent chalcedony material that may contain blue chrysocolla patches; but appearance cannot substitute for identification of composition and treatment.
Sources G&G Spring 2015 · Handbook of Mineralogy
Timescale
The cited sources give no absolute age or growth duration for chrysocolla chalcedony.
Sources G&G Fall 2013 · G&G Spring 2015 · Handbook of Mineralogy
Related base materials
- Chalcedony (cryptocrystalline quartz): Host material
- Chrysocolla: Colouring/included mineral
Supporting findings
Chrysocolla occurs in the oxidized portions of copper deposits and is associated with malachite and other minerals.
Evidence grade BScope: Formation and occurrence of chrysocolla (the colouring/inclusion mineral); the filling origin of the chalcedony itself is in a related claim.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Chalcedony (the base material) is cryptocrystalline silica that forms in open cavities such as gas cavities of volcanic rocks, filled inward by silica-bearing fluids.
Evidence grade AScope: Occurrence of chalcedony (the base); not tied to a specific locality of chrysocolla chalcedony.
Recorded localities
Authoritative sources list the localities below; the list is not exhaustive.
North America
- Globe, Arizona, United StatesChrysocolla in quartz, reportedly mined in the 1970s
Sources G&G Spring 2015
These are localities recorded by authoritative sources, not an origin finding for any individual piece. The CIBJO Gemstone Book (2022, §4.2.3) says a place of origin names where a gem was mined or harvested, is a matter of opinion, does not imply a level of quality, and that cutting, processing or exporting centres must not be used to imply origin. See how far testing can go on this page, the origin determination guide and the overview of recorded localities.
Where the name comes from
The chrysocolla part of the name "chrysocolla chalcedony" belongs to a parent/associated mineral: chrysocolla stems from Greek words for 'gold' and 'glue', describing a material once used to solder gold — one that took in chrysocolla along with various other blue and green minerals. This etymology belongs to the parent/associated mineral chrysocolla, not to the full trade name "chrysocolla chalcedony".
Evidence grade BScope: The etymology explains only the origin of the name; it does not establish the material's composition, locality, naturalness, or treatment.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
How it is identified
The colour and inclusion appearance of 'chrysocolla-chalcedony' cannot establish whether a stone is natural, synthetic or treated: quartz varieties that look alike may differ entirely in composition, growth history and treatment, and synthetic and natural quartz share essentially the same composition and physical properties, so the unaided eye cannot separate them. Laboratory identification rests on measurable properties and the division of labour between instruments — a polariscope with a conoscope lens can judge colour-zoning orientation from extinction and optic-axis readings, a refractometer gives refractive-index values, and EDXRF with infrared spectroscopy supplies chemical and structural fingerprints. Limitations: some methods depend on how the stone was cut and on comparison with reference material, and the final conclusion must be issued by an accredited gemological laboratory through testing rather than inferred from appearance.
Evidence grade AScope: Identification and separation points; testing must be performed by an accredited gemological laboratory, and no self-test thresholds are given.
Sources G&G Summer 2014 · CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
Other research findings
Chrysocolla chalcedony (gem silica) is green to blue-green translucent chalcedony coloured by chrysocolla (or copper); its base is quartz/chalcedony, not an independent mineral species.
Evidence grade BScope: An identity/material-boundary judgement; it does not exclude that some samples' green comes mainly from copper rather than chrysocolla inclusions.
Sources G&G Spring 2015 · Handbook of Mineralogy
For the GIA sample, Raman analysis showed that chrysocolla made up the blue portion, quartz the whitish-to-transparent parts, and chalcedony the transparent cryptocrystalline parts.
Evidence grade AScope: A Raman identification on a single sample; it does not represent the phase composition of all such samples.
Sources G&G Spring 2015
Material like this commonly has to be impregnated with polymer so that it does not crumble while being cut and polished; a GIA report would describe the treatment as 'impregnated' or, where the polymer makes up a significant share of volume or surface area, possibly as 'composite'.
Evidence grade AScope: A disclosure statement for a common treatment; a given sample's treatment requires testing and must not be assumed absent.
Sources G&G Spring 2015
Limits of this research
- Research status: Formation, occurrence or other material-specific findings found in authoritative sources
- Chrysocolla chalcedony's base is quartz/chalcedony, not an independent mineral species; colour may come from chrysocolla inclusions or copper.
- Such material is often polymer-impregnated; treatment must be disclosed and tested for.
- The cited sources are largely single-sample identification reports and do not represent all samples.
Methodology
- Origin determination and its limits
- Quality grading and value factors
- How gemmology became a technical discipline
Evidence grades
- A
- Standards bodies, government geological surveys, peer-reviewed research and museum records
- B
- Institutional educational material
- C
- Specialist databases or cautious readings
A statement is never graded above its strongest source.
This section is LumaLark's own factual restatement of public authoritative sources, credited item by item; it contains no verbatim excerpts, images or third-party logos.
DecideListing name, disclosure, care and treatments
- Suggested listing name
- Chrysocolla Chalcedony
GB/T 34098—2017 5.2 · CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 §7.2.1.95 “Gem silica”
Construction or treatment status
Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Related:Disclosure and cautions
This page cannot answer
Natural? · Origin · Price
A lab report settles these; this wiki covers naming and disclosure.
Related:What this page can answer
Answer at a glance
Chrysocolla Chalcedony's material identity has open questions that are not fully settled; this site lists it as "Chrysocolla Chalcedony" pending further verification.
What this means for you
Before buying, check the recommended listing name "Chrysocolla Chalcedony" and any disclosed treatments on this page, and ask the seller for a grading report if in doubt.
Known uncertainty
- This entry's exact material identity is not fully settled.
- See “Disclosure and cautions” above
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-26
Care and wear
No care facts are recorded for this entry itself. Its parent material has care records: see Chalcedony.
Durability and wearing
Toughness
Brittle to somewhat sectile
Daily wear
Hardness of about 2–4 is very soft and easily scratched, and its brittle-to-sectile nature makes it unsuitable for high-wear daily use; the material is often chrysocolla-in-quartz, whose durability rises with its quartz content.
Care
No cleaning method is given in the source; wipe only with a barely damp soft cloth, avoid ultrasonic/steam cleaning and acids (copper minerals are affected by acid), and store without rubbing against other stones.
General guidance: LumaLark's general guidance inferred from the material's properties (hardness, toughness, cleavage); not text from the cited source, and not a guarantee for any specific piece.
Scope: This field describes the material's general properties and is not a finished-product durability promise; it gives no warranty of any specific piece's durability or safety, and the durability of treated (filled, dyed, coated) or composite/assembled material must be assessed separately.
VerifyNames, standards, technical facts, clauses and sources
Names
Besides Chrysocolla Chalcedony, the name register records "Gem Silica", for which no restriction on use as a name is recorded.
Names in four languagesThe four-language names of Chrysocolla Chalcedony are given in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English (Chrysocolla Chalcedony) and Japanese (to be checked); the trade name/synonym Gem Silica is a market name. Standard and listing namesThe suggested listing name is Chrysocolla Chalcedony. On the national standard, the original GB/T 16552—2017 does not list this name, and the corresponding national-standard name is "Chalcedony (Agate/Jasper)" in GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2. Institution usageOn authority wording, CIBJO includes Gem silica; the FTC text contains no wording for this name (checked); the wording of GIA and Gem-A for this name is not yet verified by this site; the GSJ (Japan) formal name is to be checked, and the wording used by GSJ (Japan) for this name is not yet verified by this site. GIA and Gem-A show the entry's own English name, and GSJ (Japan) shows the entry's own Japanese name; neither represents the position of the body concerned.
Name register
Every name recorded for this entry, with how it is classified, whether it may be matched to this entry automatically, whether it may be used as a product name, and the clause it rests on.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Name | Type | Matching | Use as a name | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no restriction recorded (1) | ||||
| Gem SilicaEnglish | market name | matched automatically | no restriction recorded | editorial ruling (no clause cited) |
How each authority words this name: see Names › Authority wording.
- GSJ (Japan) formal name
- ジェムシリカ（待核） (not yet checked for this body — the entry's own Japanese name is shown)
- GB/T naming counterpart (this name is not in the standard)
- 玉髓 (GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2, row “Chalcedony(Agate/Jasper)”)
- Mineralogical name
- Chrysocolla chalcedony (gem silica): green to blue translucent chalcedony (quartz) coloured by copper or minute chrysocolla inclusions
- Trade names and synonyms
- Gem Silica (market name)
Four-language names
- 简体中文
- 硅孔雀石玉髓
- 繁體中文
- 矽孔雀石玉髓
- English
- Chrysocolla Chalcedony
- 日本語
- ジェムシリカ（待核）
See also: Misleading and prohibited trade names · Supplementary name index
Classification
- Origin
- Natural materials
- Material domain
- Natural inorganic gem materials
- Browsing family
- Quartz and chalcedony materials
- Identity tier
- Commercial / trade name
- Mineral chemical class
- Silicates
- Construction or treatment status
- Natural identity; treatment status unknown
What it is and how it's identified
The composition (phase) of Chrysocolla Chalcedony is registered as quartz, its transparency as translucent and its body colour as green to blue, treatment state untreated; these items are registered from the CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book. Mohs hardness 5–7, density 2.5–2.77 g/cm³ and refractive index 1.535–1.539 are registered from GB/T 16553—2017, whose cited clause is written for chalcedony, including agate and jasper (the whole class), not measured on Chrysocolla Chalcedony itself. This site notes that the cited clause has finer sub-ranges for refractive index and the register takes the overall value; and that in chapter 7 of the CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book, the colour descriptions for entries such as aquamarine, chrysocolla and dioptase also mention green or a greenish tint. Chemical composition, luminescence, UV-visible spectrum, infrared spectrum and magnification are written for chalcedony as a whole class in the cited clause; see the material facts on the Chalcedony entry.
Registered material facts
Each row carries its own source and check date and can be cited on its own; “—” means the cited source gives no value, not “none”.
Chemical composition, luminescence, UV-visible spectrum, infrared spectrum, magnification: these whole-class features are given in the cited clause for chalcedony, including agate and jasper (the whole class), so they are not repeated on the Chrysocolla Chalcedony page; see the material facts on the Chalcedony entry.
Items below that name the class they cover give the cited clause’s value for that whole class, not a measurement of Chrysocolla Chalcedony (how to read class-level values).
Definition
Chrysocolla Chalcedony — composition (phase): quartz
CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Durability
Chrysocolla Chalcedony — Mohs hardness: 5–7
GB/T 16553—2017
Reference points on this site: Talc 1–3, Fluorite 4, Apatite 5–5.5, Orthoclase 6–6.5, Topaz 8, Diamond 10 (Source: GB/T 16553—2017); Gypsum 1.5–2, Calcite 3, Quartz 7 (Source: Handbook of Mineralogy); Corundum 9 (Source: GIA Gem Encyclopedia (care guide))
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- chalcedony, including agate and jasper (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.5 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Physical properties
Chrysocolla Chalcedony — density: 2.5–2.77 g/cm³
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- chalcedony, including agate and jasper (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.5 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Optical
Chrysocolla Chalcedony — refractive index: 1.535–1.539
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- chalcedony, including agate and jasper (the whole class)
- General note
- the clause has finer ranges
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.5 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Chrysocolla Chalcedony — transparency: translucent.
CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Chrysocolla Chalcedony — body colour: Green to blue.
CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Qualification
In chapter 7 of the CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book, the colour descriptions of Aquamarine, Chrysocolla, Dioptase and other entries also name green or a greenish colour.
- General note
- colour alone is not identity
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
This material (RI / SG midpoints): 1.537 / 2.63; Closest values: 1Amethyst 1.548 / 2.67, 2Charoite 1.554 / 2.66, 3Changhua Stone 1.56 / 2.6, 4Shoushan Stone 1.56 / 2.7, 5Balin Stone 1.56 / 2.55
Show the full chart (330 registered materials)
Outside the full chart's range, drawn as triangles at the edge (RI / SG midpoints): Hematite 3.045/5.12, Synthetic Rutile 2.76/4.26, Rutile 2.753/4.23, Synthetic Moissanite 2.67/3.22
Testing and market
Chrysocolla Chalcedony is distinguished from other varieties by the presence of copper or chrysocolla inclusions; the distinction applies to untreated Chrysocolla Chalcedony. The CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book (2024) records the presence of copper or chrysocolla inclusions as the criterion for distinction under its Gem silica entry.
How far testing can go
Chrysocolla Chalcedony — criteria for distinction from other varieties: Presence of copper or chrysocolla inclusions.
CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024
- Treatment state
- untreated
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
Evidence and sources
Authority basis and clause sources
Sources
- CIBJO – The World Jewellery Confederation. Gemmological Laboratories Book (Blue Book), Gemmological Commission 2024-1.
- CIBJO – The World Jewellery Confederation. The Gemstone Book (Blue Book), 2022.
- AQSIQ / SAC (China). GB/T 34098—2017 Quartzose jade — Classification and nomenclature.
- SAMR / SAC (China). GB/T 16552—2017 Gems — Nomenclature.
- RRUFF Project, in partnership with the IMA – International Mineralogical Association. IMA Mineral List.
- eCFR (United States). 16 CFR Part 23 — Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries.
Further reading
Related entries and topic cluster
Parent entry and related pages on this site. Rows marked “Planned” are suggested new content and have no link yet.
Related-entry tree for Quartz on this site: 74 entries listed by this site's parent-entry links; synthetic, treated and similar entries carry their recorded state after the name; this page (Chrysocolla Chalcedony) is marked.
- Quartz
Sub-entries (57)
- Agate
Sub-entries (1)
- Amethyst
- Ametrine
- Aventurine Quartz
- Aventurine Quartz / Green Aventurine
- Banded Agate
- Black Agate
- Bloodstone / Heliotrope
- Blue Lace Agate
- Carnelian
- Chalcedony
Sub-entries (2)
- Chrome Chalcedony
- Chrysocolla Chalcedony
- Chrysoprase
- Citrine
- Clear Quartz / Rock Crystal
- Coated Quartz
- Colourless to White Quartz (brand name: Azeztulite)
- Crazy Lace Agate
- Dendritic Agate
- Dyed Agate (Treated: dyed)
- Elestial Quartz / Skeletal Quartz
- Eye Agate
- Flower Agate / Cherry Blossom Agate
- Green Quartz
- High-clarity quartz with golden needle-like inclusions
- Included Quartz
- Jasper
Sub-entries (1)
- Madeira Citrine
- Malachite Agate
- Morion / very dark Smoky Quartz
- Moss Agate
- Moss Chalcedony
- Multi-inclusion Quartz
- Onyx (banded chalcedony)
- Phantom Quartz
- Prase
- Prasiolite / Green Quartz
- Quartz Cat’s-eye
- Quartz claimed to be from the Himalayas
- Quartz Crystal
- Quartz with dark needle-like inclusions
- Quartz with fine fibrous inclusions
- Quartz with flower-like inclusions
- Quartz with golden needle-like inclusions
- Quartz with green needle-like inclusions
- Quartzite Jade
- Quartzose Jade
- Red Agate
- Rock Crystal
- Rose Quartz
- Rutilated Quartz
- Sard
- Sardonyx
- Silicified Asbestos
Sub-entries (2)
- Hawk’s Eye
- Tiger’s Eye
Sub-entries (1)
- Smoky Quartz
- Smoky Quartz (brown variety)
- Strawberry Quartz
- Yellow-green Quartz
- Agate
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Page | Content | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Browsing family | Quartz and chalcedony materials | Live |
| Related articles | To be added (placeholder) | Planned |
Who maintains this page
The material facts in the Chrysocolla Chalcedony entry are maintained by the LumaLark wiki and matched one by one to the standard clauses or institutional sources they cite: every fact carries its source (with a clause or page locator) and a check date, so it can be traced back to the original. The entry exists so that buyers and sellers can check naming, disclosure and material facts item by item.