Blue Azurite & Malachite on Matrix

Azurite with malachite is a blend of two distinct & popular minerals: the deep blues of azurite & the variegated green shades of malachite. It forms at shallow depths in the oxidizing zone above copper deposits. Slightly acidic, copper-bearing waters percolate downwards through fractures & pore spaces in the rock. During their descent they encounter a geochemical environment that allows the precipitation of carbonate minerals, & that is where this blend forms.

Azurite is a soft, deep blue copper mineral produced by the weathering of copper ore deposits. During the early 19th century, it was known as Chessylite, named for the Chessy-les-Mines near Lyon, France where Azurite was found. Azurite is not a common or abundant mineral, but its beauty & vibrant blue color attracts attention. Coveted in many parts of the world for thousands of years, ancient people used it as an ore of copper, as a pigment, as a gemstone, & as an ornamental stone.

Malachite is a green copper carbonate hydroxide mineral. It was one of the first ores used to produce copper metal. Pliny the Elder, 79 CE, named it Molochitus but by 1661 the revised spelling was widely adopted as Malachite. Malachite has a widely variable habit ranging from botryoidal, silky, to stalactite like forms. Malachite's most striking physical property is its color. All specimens are green & range from a pastel green, to bright green, to a dark green that is almost black. When it is cut into slabs & pieces, the surfaces often exhibit banding & eyes that are similar to agate. Some of the first malachite deposits exploited were located in Egypt & Israel. Over 4000 years ago, mined for copper, material from these deposits was also used to produce gemstones, sculptures, & pigments.

Azurite is a complete emotional cleanser, ever ready to tie up all the dangling threads of anxiety, worry & scattered thoughts. It shines a light on the soul in order to heal & support; encouraging a softness of being to assist in the emotional & mental work with compassion and inner truth.
Malachite is the essence of joy and is known as the "stone of transformation" because it helps reveal and heal emotional pain by absorbing the pain into itself. It is especially helpful in bringing ease during times of change and gives the insight needed for personal growth.
United together, different traits blend together, freshening one's outlook on life, as well as dissolving egocentric characteristics; dispelling conceit, arrogance and vanity; calming anxiety and enhancing flexibility in motion and thought.