Malachite is a striking green marble-like stone that is mainly a hydrous copper carbonate compound. It is the copper content of malachite that gives it the green color. This green, which shares many properties with turquoise, is a form of copper tarnish. It is a softer stone with a Mohs hardness of 3-1/2 to 4.
Malachite also played an important role in European paintings during the Renaissance period of the 15th and 16th centuries as a pigment for paints and dyes. It is believed that many of the green colors found in Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel painting were painted with malachite-based oil paints. It was the Russian Romanov dynasty, however, that really made malachite synonymous with outlandish luxury. High-quality malachite, discovered in 1635 in the foothills of the Urals, had become very fashionable for jewelry by 1820 and was frequently paired with gold and diamonds. In 1835, a malachite boulder of the highest quality was discovered that would take 21 years to unearth and bring to the surface.
Malachite is sensitive to heat, acids, ammonia, and hot waters. Rinsing malachite in clean water is safe. Let it air dry and store away from other metals or gemstones that might damage the surface.
**Please note that all metaphysical or healing properties listed are collected from various sources. This information is offered as a reference and is not meant to treat medical conditions. Shelf & Stone™ does not guarantee the validity of any of these statements.
