Copper sulfides (tetragonal Cu1.92S-Cu1.99S, rhombohedral Cu1.71S-Cu1.89S, CuS), selenides (beta Cu2-xSe, Cu3Se2, gamma CuSe, CuSe2), and tellurides (Cu2-xTe, Cu3Te2) were prepared from mixtures of the elements by mechanical alloying (MA), using a high-energy ball mill. The compounds were obtained by 60-120 min of MA. It is notable that two metastable high-pressure phases were obtained by MA : tetragonal Cu2-xS and pyrite-type CuSe2. The tetragonal phase gradually transformed to the stable phase of djurleite when kept at room temperature. Cu1.71S-Cu1.89S also formed a metastable rhombohedral phase.