Malachite Properties, Facts and Photos

What is Malachite?

Malachite is a classic green mineral and the oldest ore of copper. It occurs close to the surface, and its presence often indicates that deeper deposits of native copper are nearby.

An ore is a rock that contains a significant amount of a natural mineral with valuable elements that can be extracted.

Extracting copper from malachite involves heating the stone in conjunction with carbon, which is done at a relatively low temperature over a short period of time. 

Malachite often occurs alongside or in conjunction with azurite. The chemical formula for both minerals is almost identical. They're produced through the weathering of copper ore deposits.

When azurite and malachite combine, the stone is known simply as azurite-malachite.

Malachite is green and azurite blue because the copper in malachite is more highly oxidised than in azurite. Over time and under the right conditions, azurite can turn into malachite. This transformation is known as pseudomorphism, which literally means 'false form.'

In geology, pseudomorphs are minerals that have undergone a transformation whereby one changes into the other while retaining the external crystal shape of the original mineral.

Azurite can be altered to malachite through a chemical reaction that involves the addition of water and oxygen and the release of carbon dioxide. 

The process of pseudomorphism can vary greatly. In one example, which is petrified wood, the original organic structure is slowly replaced by silica.

The History of Malachite

Although malachite can be traced back to 8000 BC, it didn't start being used as an ore until 5000 BC. Until then, copper, which was the only metal known to humans, would have come from deposits of native copper.

Malachite was used as an ore of copper throughout antiquity. The ancient Egyptians had mining operations in place in the Sinai Peninsula in 4000 BC. This area was Egypt's main source of copper for thousands of years.

Many ancient civilizations used malachite for decorative purposes. It's also believed to have been the first green pigment, which led to it being used as a colouring agent in glazes, glass and cosmetics.

In China, green pigment can be traced back to the Shāng people [c.1500 BC]. A tiger carved from malachite found in the tomb of a King's consort was dated to around the same period.

In Western China, the colour green can be found in paintings from the ninth and tenth centuries. It didn't become popular in Europe until around the 14th century. In ancient Egyptian tomb paintings, the colour green first appeared around 2613 BC.

Malachite beads found on the Euphrates River date back to 7000 BC.

When used as a pigment, malachite must be coarsely ground because if the particles are too small, the colour will be much paler. 

The Pharaoh Amenhotep III used over five hundred kilos of mafek for inlay work in the Temple of Karnak. Mafek was a collective name for various green stones, one of which is believed to have been malachite.

Sorting objects into groups is an instinctive human characteristic. For thousands of years, rocks and minerals were grouped according to colour and visible properties. Records from the earliest system show two groups: 'stones' and 'earths'. Rocks and minerals were put into one of the two groups depending on how they reacted to fire and water.

In the writings of Theophrastus, the ancient Greek philosopher, all bright green copper minerals were labelled as chrysocolla.

Pliny the Elder, the Roman author and naturalist, references various minerals in his work Naturalis Historia. He suggested the name chrysocolla may actually have referred to what we now know as malachite. This is based on his descriptions of a green mineral with similar characteristics to malachite.

If true, this means the mineral known today as chrysocolla may not have been known.

In this same work, Pliny also refers to a group of green-coloured stones as varieties of smaragdus, yet many had little in common.  Smaragdus is an ancient name for emerald.

The group to which he's referring is believed to have included malachite, types of sapphire, turquoise, jasper and possibly even glass.

Pliny wrote, "Copper smaragdus from Cyprus is associated with the colour blue." This seems to be a reference to the mineral azurite.

In the early 1800s, two enormous deposits of malachite were discovered in Russia with enough stone to supply the entire country with copper for around 170 years.

Many large slabs were polished for ornamental purposes, and malachite quickly became the stone of choice for the rich and famous.

Today, several of Russia's most important buildings are adorned with malachite. One is The Malachite Room at the Winter Palace in St Petersburg, which features over 200 tons.

Saint Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg was built over forty years starting in 1818. It features marble, granite, lapis lazuli and eight massive green malachite pillars.

More About Malachite

On the Mohs scale of hardness, malachite grades 3.5 to 4. As well as being very soft, it's also porous, so must be protected from moisture. Sudden exposure to heat can affect its colour or cause cracks.

Despite being soft and fragile, malachite has always been a popular carving material. When used as a gemstone, it's cut as a cabochon.

The dust from malachite is highly toxic, so protective breathing equipment must be worn while stones are being cut and polished.

If used for its metaphysical properties, malachite should never be used as an elixir. An elixir is water infused with natural minerals to extract their healing properties. The water is then consumed.

Article Pictures

The malachite in the first and fourth pictures are from our collection.

The second picture is native copper with malachite. Photo courtesy of Stan Celestian.

The malachite in the third picture is in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. Photo by Stone Mania.

The malachite vases are in the Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg.

Most photos in this article are clickable and redirect to the original image.

Pop-up photos: Native copper, azurite, chrysocolla, malachite pseudomorph after azurite - Courtesy of Stan Celestian.