Chrysocolla: Magical Properties, Benefits & Uses

Sometimes called “phoenix stone,” chrysocolla is a brilliant blue-green crystal that’s often mistaken for turquoise. This bright, beautiful stone has been used for carving and jewelry since ancient times.

The most highly prized specimens are hard, with bold colors, but any kind of chrysocolla can be used for its metaphysical and healing attributes.

About Chrysocolla

As far as crystals and gemstones go, chrysocolla is highly variable. That’s largely due to its structure — a study from 2006 found evidence that this stone may actually be a combination of spertiniite (a copper hydroxide), silica, and water at the microscopic level.

A chrysocolla stone isolated on a white background.

Specimens can range from 2-7 on the Mohs hardness scale. Stones with a higher silica content are at the upper end of the scale, and tend to be lighter shades of blue and green. Those without tend to be much softer, and of a darker color.

Only stones at the higher end of the Mohs scale can be polished and used for jewelry, spheres, tumbled stones, or towers.

See also: Check out Chrysocolla stones here.

Chrysocolla Healing Properties & Benefits

As an emotional healing stone, chrysocolla is prized for its purported ability to help the user communicate. Unlike other stones, which help the user have the courage to speak, chrysocolla works with discernment. It helps the user see when to speak, and when to listen.

It’s also used for alleviating problems caused by repressed feelings. It helps heal guilt and heartache, overcome phobias, and stimulate creativity.

Physically, crystal healers use this stone for menstrual pain, regulating the endocrine system, and supporting the structures and organs in the throat area. It’s also said to help with digestion, fevers, and muscle cramps.

See also: Check out Chrysocolla jewelry here.

Chrysocolla Magical Properties

Magically, chrysocolla is a stone for teachers. It helps elders effectively offer their wisdom and speak their truths in ways that will offer the most benefit to their students. It aligns with the concept of “speak ye little, listen much.”

This stone is also used for prosperity and business success, particularly in industries that require perception, communication, and intuition.

It’s an excellent success charm for people in customer-facing roles, or those that require a lot of speaking. Customer service representatives, teachers, and counselors especially benefit from it.

Chrysocolla is sometimes employed for gentleness, peace, forgiveness, reconciliation, and strengthening all forms of emotional ties. Interestingly, it’s also said to help people cope with staying home — it relieves the anxieties of monks, hermits, and others who live in seclusion.

People in creative industries use this stone to help them master new skills, and turn their inspirations into finished works. It helps combine creativity and execution, allowing the user to bring their ideas to life.

A macro shot of chrysocolla crystal with magical and metaphysical properties.

In terms of color magic, chrysocolla lands somewhere between green and blue. Some stones will have more of one energy than the other, while others might be perfectly blue-green.

The color blue is tied to peace, healing, truth, and guidance. Green is associated with growth, fertility, prosperity, luck, and beauty.

In the chakra system, chrysocolla is said to help calm and open all chakras. Its color lends it most to helping the throat chakra, Visuddha, and the heart chakra, Anahata.

Visuddha rules speaking and communication. When it’s blocked, we may fear speaking up for ourselves.

Anahata rules all things emotional and love-related. It’s also the energy center that connects the lower and higher chakras. When it’s blocked, we may fall into toxic relationships, have difficulty opening up to love, or lack self-compassion.

Meditating with or wearing chrysocolla near these areas is said to help unblock them.

Chrysocolla History & Folklore

The word “chrysocolla” comes from a Greek word meaning “gold-solder.” While this name was given to the stone by modern mineralogists, it’s an allusion to a material used to solder gold in antiquity.

The name first appeared in the writings of Theophrastus (a successor to Aristotle) circa 315 BCE. It was revived in the early 19th century by French mineralogist and geologist André-Jean-François-Marie Brochant de Villiers.

It’s alleged that Cleopatra carried chrysocolla in the hope that it would exert a calming effect on violent people.

Chrysocolla may have resulted in some confusion in old records and grimoires. It’s often found with malachite and azurite (two other copper-containing minerals), and easily mistaken for the two.

European physicians used to combine chrysocolla with water and sugar or honey to make a gargle to heal sore throats. The copper released into the water may have helped kill bacteria that can cause throat infections, but is also toxic to humans.

How to Cleanse Chrysocolla

Since chrysocolla is so variable in hardness, it’s important to stick to gentle cleansing methods to avoid potentially damaging portions of the stone. Try one of the following.

Some methods for cleansing Chrysocolla include:

  • Setting it the light of the full moon.
  • Placing it at the base of a plant. Avoid leaving it here for too long, as watering or rainfall may cause it to leach copper into the surrounding soil.
  • Fumigating the stone with incense or cleansing herbs.
  • Using your personal energy to re-align the energy of the crystal.
  • Playing music, bells, chimes, or singing bowls.

Some sources say that it’s safe to hold chrysocolla in lukewarm running water for brief periods of time to cleanse it.

If you choose to do this, be careful — the stone may release copper into the water, which is toxic if ingested. Carefully discard any water chrysocolla comes in contact with.

Getting Started With Chrysocolla

Chrysocolla is found in many place around the world, so it isn’t particularly rare. It’s often more expensive than tumbled stones or spheres of a similar size, since so many specimens are too soft for tumbling or polishing.

This is the same reason why you’re less likely to see chrysocolla jewelry than you are pieces made of other crystals.

If you’re fortunate enough to find a metaphysical or crystal shop with ethically-sourced chrysocolla, it’s best to select your stone in person.

This will let you choose the stone that appeals to you the most, and gives you the chance to experience its energy before you bring it home.

Hold it in your non-dominant hand, and see what feelings it brings up in you. You should feel a sense of calm and stability. Avoid stones that make you sad, uncomfortable, or anxious.

Polished Chrysocolla stones with magical and metaphysical properties.

After purchase, you’ll most likely want to cleanse your stone. It’s been through a lot, between being dug out of the ground, shipped long distances, and handled by dozens of people.

Cleansing works to re-align the crystal’s energy to its most natural state, removing the effects of all of the people and places its passed between.

Once cleansed, your chrysocolla is ready for use. If you choose to use it as a healing stone, either meditate with it or place it in a pouch and carry it on you.

If you use a pouch, avoid placing it with other crystals — most are harder than chrysocolla, and will scratch or chip the stone.

If you use it for magic, avoid placing it in any liquid that will be consumed. You can use this stone to make lovely gem elixirs, but always use an indirect method.

Other than that, you may use your crystal however you choose. Some witches liken its appearance to a miniature planet, and use it to represent the Goddess or Spirit of the Earth in their workings.


Chrysocolla is a very pretty blue-green stone with a long history of use in magic and medicine. While its varying hardness means that it might need a little more care than other crystals, its wonderfully calming energy and ability to enhance communication make the additional effort completely worth it.


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