Malachite

Malachite wears its green in concentric bands, like eyes or waves.

It is a copper carbonate, and it gains its pattern as copper-rich water slowly reacts in the oxidation zones of the deposits.

Every piece has a unique pattern, never identical to another.

Tsarist Russia loved it on a monumental scale: in the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, the famous “Malachite Hall” is clad in over two tons of malachite from the Ural Mountains.

Eight full columns are clad with the Romanovs’ “green gold,” using the “Russian mosaic” technique.

Fabergé used it in his objets d’art, and in antiquity it was ground as a green pigment and Egyptian eye makeup.

Its color ranges from light green to dark green, with its signature banding. Most specimens today come from the Congo.

Associated with transformation, protection, and emotional balance, malachite is a living stone.

With a hardness of only 3.5–4, it is soft and sensitive to acids and heat.

Because it contains copper, its dust should not be inhaled; wipe only with a dry cloth, and keep it away from water.

Its decorative look is beautifully set off in 925 silver.