Tumbled & polished Malachite.
One of the most beautiful of stones, is Malachite! It has been used by many cultures over thousands of years in jewelry, sculpture, and as pigmentation in paint. (per geology.com)
When I first started dabbling with making jewelry, real malachite was hard to find, and what I did find was pretty pricey. But the demand for it has grown, and that has brought about an increase in availability. Ohhh joy!!!!😁
I now possess not only genuine malachite beads, but polished stones and even small fibrous samples which, I find, to be the greenest of green Malachite. I would say it's my favorite form of it, but then I look at the polished forms I have of it and become indecisive! lol I'm not complaining!!
malachite is a green copper carbonate hydroxide mineral with a chemical composition of Cu2(CO3)(OH)2. It was one of the first ores used to produce copper metal. It is of minor importance today as an ore of copper because it is usually found in small quantities and can be sold for higher prices for other types of use.
I very recently obtained some fibrous Malachite which I used to create some jewelry for a family member. I can't wait to surprise them with it!
Necklace & earrings made by me.
I found the fibrous Malachite to be a bit more challenging to work with then beads or tumbled stone. This is most likely is because malachite is a very soft stone. I don't know if tumbling and polishing hardens it further and couldn't find any information on this.
Malachite can be very challenging to tumble and polish and special oxide polishes should be used and even better is fine diamond grit. Never polish your malachite dry. The dust is toxic and can make you violently ill if you inhale it. This is due to the high copper content in Malachite.
Look how green it is!
Some of the first malachite deposits to be exploited were located in Egypt and Israel. Over 4000 years ago, they were mined and used to produce copper. Material from these deposits was also used to produce gemstones, sculptures, and pigments.
Hmmmm. Wonder if I could quantify that my jewelry making follows in the footsteps of the Egyptians? Well it most certainly is a nice thought!!
Stalactitic Malachite, courtesy geology.com
Raw Malachite, courtesy crystalvaults.com
malachite often forms within limestone where a subsurface chemical environment favorable for the formation of carbonate minerals can occur. Associated minerals include azurite, bornite, calcite, chalcopyrite, copper, cuprite, and a variety of iron oxides.
Malachite with Barite crystals, courtesy wikepedia.com
With it's brilliant green shades of color, and it's continued growth in popularity, I look forward to discovering new ways I can put Malachite to use in my jewelry making as well as more about this beautiful stone as well!
Polished, cut stones, courtesy geology.com
Now, to find myself a green Malachite 💓 heart!!
