Arizona chrysocolla
This earth cache is located in the Starr Pass resort area, on the rocky Rock Wren trail, with spectacular views of the city and surrounding area. It is an earth cache so there is no container to find. Please email answers (through the CO profile) to the questions listed below the description. No need to wait for a reply from the CO once your answers have been sent. The trail is rocky, medium difficulty, so wear sturdy shoes. It is about a 10 minute walk from the parking lot to Stage I. There are also many beautiful trails in Starr Pass to explore in addition to this one.
There are two stages to this earth cache. Stage I is an area with a large amount of chrysocolla near a structure that is also composed of rocks of chrysocolla. At Stage II there is a large green and blue wall of chrysocolla that can be viewed from the waypoint.
Please do not list answers in your log.
CHRYSOCOLLA
Chrysocolla has been popular for use as a gemstone for carvings and ornamental use since antiquity. Chrysocolla was first mined in the legendary mines of King Solomon in 931 B.C, used as a material to solder gold and craft jewelry by Theophrastus in 315 B.C.
In ancient Egypt chrysocolla was known as the “wisdom stone.” Legend has it that Cleopatra carried a piece with her at all times. Chrysocolla is said to have many healing properties, such as the ability to draw out guilt, heal heartache and increase our capacity to love.
Chrysocolla is of secondary origin to copper and forms in the oxidation zones of copper ore bodies. It is typically found as botryoidal masses. The stone is often coated with a glossy clear quartz or interspersed together with the quartz. When agatized with quartz the hardness and thus its durability are increased.
The chemical formula for this mineral is not clearly defined, as it contains a varying degree of substitution of elements and water in its chemical makeup. A 2006 study has produced evidence that chrysocolla may be a microscopic mixture of the copper hydroxide mineral spertinite, amorphous silica and water.
Ray Mine, Scott Mountain area, Mineral Creek District, Pinal County, Arizona
Chrysocolla’s vivid color can be among the brightest blues and greens found in any mineral. The bright hues are largely due to its copper content. Dark navy blue chrysocolla is too soft to be used in jewelry. Cyan, green and blue-green chrysocolla can have a hardness of six (like turquoise) and so can readily be found in the jewelry store. Because it has a wide range of hardness on the Mohs scale, ranging from two to seven, depending on the amount of silica it contains as it was formed, it is often used in place of turquoise because it is relatively easy to work and shape.
Please answer the following questions to verify your found it log:
- At Stage I or Stage II, describe the color you see on the stone on the wall and some of the rocks found at your feet. What is the origin of the coloring?
- Does there seem to be a lot of quartz in the chrysocolla you see here? Explain why you came to your conclusion.
- Are there botryoidal masses of chrysocolla at either stage? Explain your answer.
- At Stage I there is a primitive man-made structure of chrysocolla stones. What is its shape?
Sources: Wikipedia and gemcoach.com