Malachite is a green copper carbonate hydroxide mineral. It was one of the first ores used to produce copper metal. It forms at shallow depths in the Earth, in the oxidizing zone above copper deposits. It precipitates from descending solutions in fractures, caverns, cavities, & intergranular spaces of porous rock. It often forms within limestone where a subsurface chemical environment favorable for the formation of carbonate minerals can occur.
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.
Malachite has been used as pigment for thousands of years. One of the oldest known green pigments, it's been found in paintings in Egyptian tombs & paintings produced throughout Europe during the 15th & 16th centuries. The mineral is an excellent material for producing a powdered pigment as it is easily ground into fine powder, mixes easily, & retains its color well when exposed to light over time.
Malachite symbolism has strong associations with travelers of all kinds as well as children. Both groups of people need all the protection they can get. In some parts of Italy, people wore malachite pieces resembling eyes to ward away the Evil Eye. 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.
