This earth cache is located in Keiller Park in the town of Willcox, and is probably the only earth cache you will ever find that can be completed while comfortably seated at a park bench. Also, there are some great photo opportunities here! 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. Please do not list answers in your log.
This location is also an interesting outdoor museum dedicated to Rex Allen and his horse.
CHRYSOCOLLA (copper silicate)
Chrysocolla is a vividly colored mineral, often the brightly colored shades of blue and green, due to its copper content. The blue mineral is often coated by a drusy (a crust of projecting crystals) layer of glossy clear quartz or interspersed together with the quartz.
Because of its wide availability and beautiful colors, chrysocolla has been popular as jewelry, carvings and ornamentation since antiquity. Ancient Egyptians would bury chrysocolla amulets with mummified children suggesting that it was considered a protective stone for children. Cleopatra was said to have carried chrysocolla when negotiating with her brother or the Romans as she felt it calmed hotheadedness and allowed her and her opponents to retain their composure.
Copper bracelet with chrysocolla and jasper, licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC 2.0
In its purest green or blue form, the stone is soft and crumbles easily, so you won’t find those pure colors alone in jewelry. Luckily, chrysocolla is often mixed with other minerals such as quartz, chalcedony, malachite and sometimes opal. Cyan, green and blue-green chrysocolla can have a hardness approaching 6 on the Moh scale, similar to turquoise. In this form it is more durable and the other minerals add to the varied patches of color and intricate patterns to make it durable and even more beautiful to behold.
Chrysocolla and malachite, by Paul's Lab, licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 2.0
Most chrysocolla is from copper deposits in dry regions, though it is not at all limited to that and can be found worldwide. The most outstanding chrysocolla has come from many of the classic Arizona copper mines. The most noteworthy and outstanding are the Inspiration Mine, Globe-Miami District; the 79 Mine in Hayden; Morenci; and Ray. The locality of Ray is especially noted for its beautiful and intriguing stalagmites combined with quartz.
Asarco Ray mine in Pinal County, Arizona
Please answer the following questions to verify your found it log:
- At Stage I, name at least three vivid colors on the stone directly behind you while seated.
- Describe the texture of the rock behind you at Stage I.
- Is there an example of botryoidal masses of chrysocolla at either stage? (Answer yes or no.) Is there a photo of botryoidal chrysocolla on this cache web page? (Answer yes or no.) What does botryoidal mean?
- Is there an example of drusy chrysocolla at this location in the park?
FTF: leeny_c and philbeer!
References: www.minerals.net, gemselect.com