Shattuckite is a rare blue copper mineral, first found at the Shattuck Mine in Arizona. It is often mixed with quartz and other copper minerals. We do not carry it. Turquoise, blue apatite and sodalite are the blues we do.
Silicate (copper silicate hydroxide)
Shattuckite
Shattuckita
- Palette
- Blue
- Mined in
- United States, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Hardness
- Mohs 3.5 ?
- See-through
- translucent
- Known since
- 1915
- Named for
- the Shattuck Mine in Bisbee, Arizona
- Intention
- Calm
- Looking for
- Calm Rest and meditation
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- We found no bead seller that states what is done to shattuckite; it is often mixed with quartz and other copper minerals.
Not in our pieces now
4.1× WATER
Shattuckite is about four times as dense as water, which is heavy for a non-metallic mineral.
OVER MALACHITE
At Bisbee's Shattuck Mine, shattuckite formed as pseudomorphs after malachite, replacing it atom by atom while keeping the original crystal shape.
DEWITT BISBEE
Bisbee, Arizona, where shattuckite was first found, was founded in 1880 and named for Judge DeWitt Bisbee, a backer of the nearby Copper Queen Mine.
What it is
A rich blue copper stone, fibrous or granular, polished into cabochons and beads. It is a rare copper mineral, often mixed with quartz and with other copper minerals, so a bead sold under this name may be part something else.
Where it comes from
The finest shattuckite comes from the copper mines of the Kaokoveld in Namibia; it was first found at the Shattuck Mine in Bisbee, Arizona, and also occurs in Katanga in the Congo.
In history
Shattuckite was first found in 1915 in the Shattuck Mine, one of the copper mines at Bisbee, Arizona, and takes its name from that mine.
What's said about it
In crystal lore today, shattuckite is the stone for a quiet room. People set one in the center of a room or on an altar, and keep it for harmony, tranquility and meditation.
It is soft and a copper stone, so it is usually kept rather than worn, on a shelf or altar, in a pocket, or as a pendant.
How people wear or keep it: In the center of a room, on an altar or shelf, in a meditation space, or in a pocket.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, shattuckite is paired with the heart and throat and third eye chakras, so practitioners rest it there during meditation or lie down with it in place for a few quiet minutes. Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: in the center of a room, on an altar or shelf, in a meditation space. People reach for it when they want calm, rest and meditation, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
The chakra and star sign this stone is usually matched with. These are popular traditions, not facts about the stone.
ChakraHeart, Throat, Third Eye
ZodiacSagittarius
ElementWater
Care
- Soft (Mohs 3.5) and it splits cleanly in two directions, so keep it from knocks. Store it alone in a soft pouch.
- It is a copper mineral: keep it away from water, acids, vinegar, perfume and hand sanitizer.
- Wipe with a soft dry cloth. Skip ultrasonic and steam cleaners.
- Take it off before washing hands, showering or swimming.
- It suits a pendant, earrings or a display piece better than daily wrist wear.
How to tell what you have
- Shattuckite is a deep blue copper mineral, soft (about 3.5) and fairly heavy, often growing with malachite or plancheite, so a bead sold under this name may be part something else.
- It can look like chrysocolla, azurite or dyed stone; ask for the origin (Shattuck Mine, Arizona or Namibia) and watch for dye pooling at the drill hole.
Questions people ask at our table
What is shattuckite?
A rare blue copper silicate mineral, first found in 1915 at the Shattuck Mine in Bisbee, Arizona. It forms from the breakdown of other copper minerals, and at Bisbee it grew in place of malachite.
Is shattuckite pure, or mixed?
It is often mixed with quartz and other copper minerals, so a bead may be only partly shattuckite. A similar mineral, plancheite, looks almost identical, and only a lab can separate the two.
Is the blue natural or dyed?
The blue is the mineral's own copper color. As with any blue bead, a very even, bright color deserves a question to the seller about what the bead really is.
How soft is it?
It is 3.5 on the Mohs scale, so a knife or key scratches it, and it is softer than turquoise. It suits a keepsake or pendant better than a daily bracelet, and it should be kept dry.
Do you carry shattuckite?
No. Our nearest blues are turquoise, blue apatite and sodalite.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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