Turquoise vs Chrysocolla
Turquoise and Chrysocolla are easy to confuse. Here’s how they stack up on the properties that actually separate them.
| Turquoise | Chrysocolla | |
|---|---|---|
| Colour | Blue, Green | Blue, Green, Black, Brown |
| Mohs hardness | 5–6 | 2.5–3.5 (7 for chrysocolla chalcedony, high-silica content) |
| Lustre | Waxy to subvitreous | Vitreous to dull |
| Streak | Bluish white | White to a blue-green color |
| Crystal system | Triclinic | Orthorhombic Unknown space group |
| Transparency | Opaque | Translucent to opaque |
| Cleavage | Perfect on {001}, good on {010}, but cleavage rarely seen | none |
| Fracture | Conchoidal | Irregular/uneven, sub-conchoidal |
| Chemical formula | — | {{chem2|Cu_{2 – x}Al_{x}(H2Si2O5)(OH)4*nH2O}} (x < 1) |
| Specific gravity | 2.6–2.9 | 1.9–2.4 |
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Frequently asked questions
What's the easiest way to tell Turquoise from Chrysocolla?
Hardness is the quickest test: Turquoise is Mohs 5–6 and Chrysocolla is Mohs 2.5–3.5 (7 for chrysocolla chalcedony, high-silica content).