Malachite Sterling Silver Pendant

MALACHITE

HISTORY, NAME, LOCALITIES: Malachite has been used since antiquity as a green pigment and pottery glaze and was one of the first ores of copper.  Its name stems from the Greek molochitēs, meaning mallow, in allusion to that herb’s green leaves.  Notable collecting localities are found in France, Democratic Republic of Congo, Morocco, Namibia, Australia, Chile, and the United States (Arizona, Utah, Nevada).

MINERALOGY, PROPERTIES, OCCURRENCE:  Malachite [basic copper carbonate, Cu₂(CO₃)(OH)₂, pronounced MAH-le-kite, crystallizes in the monoclinic system and occurs in massive, botryoidal, and stalactitic forms, as well as in tuft-like prismatic crystals.  It has a Mohs hardness of 3.5-4.0, perfect cleavage in one direction, silky-to-dull luster, and a specific gravity of 3.9-4.0.  Malachite is a secondary mineral that forms in the shallow, oxidized portions of copper deposits in association with such minerals as azurite, calcite, chalcopyrite, chrysocolla, and linarite.  It is usually translucent to opaque and exhibits a diagnostic grass-green and emerald-green to dark, forest-green color.

METAPHYSICAL PROPERTIES, LORE, USES: Modern metaphysical practitioners believe that malachite absorbs negative energies, releases negative memories, and brings overall emotional healing.  Until the early 1900s, azurite was an important ore of copper.  Azurite is used extensively in cabochons for jewelry and as a carving medium for decorative objects.