Dakota Chrysocolla Buffalo Carving
Regular price $92.00 USDThe word chrysocolla comes from the ancient Greek — chrysos, meaning gold, and kolla, meaning glue — a name first recorded by the philosopher Theophrastus in 315 BCE, who used it to describe the material goldsmiths used to solder precious metal. That the name has survived more than two thousand years speaks to something enduring in the stone itself.
Chrysocolla is a copper-bearing mineral, forming in the oxidized zones of copper deposits alongside malachite and azurite. Its color ranges from soft blue-green to deep teal, and its resemblance to turquoise has long made it a stone of quiet mistaken identity — beautiful enough to be confused with one of the world’s most prized gems. This piece shows the characteristic blue-green tones of high-quality chrysocolla, with the natural variation in hue and surface texture that makes each specimen unique. Traditional beliefs hold that chrysocolla alleviates fear, guilt, and nervous tension — a calming stone for an unsettled mind.
The buffalo carved from it carries its own ancient weight. In the Lakota language, the word for buffalo is Tatanka — but to native Lakota speakers, the literal translation is something closer to "He who owns us." Not a creature to be possessed, but one that possessed the land, the seasons, and the lives of those who lived alongside it. The buffalo signifies endurance, emotional courage, and the strength to overcome — qualities that feel at home in a stone named by the ancient Greeks and shaped by the hands of a contemporary artist.
Details
- Material: Chrysocolla — blue-green copper mineral
- Dimensions: Approx. 3½" L × 2½" H
- Technique: Hand carved
- One-of-a-kind — natural color and surface texture vary
No two carvings are alike. The natural color variation of chrysocolla is unique to each piece.
