It is of secondary origin and forms in the oxidation zones of copper ore bodies. Associated minerals are quartz, limonite, azurite, malachite, cuprite, and other secondary copper minerals.

(1) Name comes from the Greek chrysos, "gold", and kolla, "glue", in allusion to the name of the material used to solder gold, and was first used by Theophrastus in 315 BCE. (2) In medieval Europe, Chrysocolla was believed to be a protective amulet against obstructive neighbors, or spiteful remarks about age or physical appearance.