Gems, Precious Stones, Precious Metals - Malachite

Malachite - Gem Color 12 - #0BDA51

Malachite is a copper carbonate hydroxide mineral. This opaque, green banded mineral crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system, and most often forms botryoidal, fibrous, or stalagmitic masses, in fractures and spaces, deep underground, where the water table and hydrothermal fluids provide the means for chemical precipitation. Individual crystals are rare but do occur as slender to acicular prisms.

Archeological evidence indicates that the mineral has been mined and smelted at Timna valley in Israel for over 3,000 years. Since then, malachite has been used as both an ornamental stone and as a gemstone.

Large quantities of malachite have been mined in the Urals, Russia. It is found worldwide including in the Democratic Republic of Congo; Gabon; Zambia; Tsumeb, Namibia; Mexico; Broken Hill, New South Wales; Lyon, France; Timna valley, Israel, and in the Southwestern United States notably in Arizona