How to clean it
Dry or barely damp cloth only. Never ultrasonic, never acid — and never grind it, the dust is toxic.
Banded bright and dark green
Malachite
Properties
Composition
Copper carbonate hydroxide (Cu₂CO₃(OH)₂)
Hardness (Mohs)
3.5–4
Crystal system
Monoclinic
Colour
Banded bright and dark green
Mined in
DR Congo, Russia, Zambia, Australia
Worth knowing
Contains copper and is toxic as dust — polished stone is safe to handle, but it should never be ground, licked or put in drinking water.
History
Ground into eye paint in ancient Egypt and used as a green pigment through the Renaissance.
Practical
Caring for Malachite
How to tell it is real
Reconstituted malachite — powder bound in resin — is widespread. Natural banding is irregular and never repeats; reconstituted material is suspiciously uniform.
One general rule covers most mistakes: never store stones loose together. Diamond at 10 on the Mohs scale scratches everything else you own, and it does not need much contact to do it.
What that hardness means in practice
Very soft — a fingernail is around 2.5 on the scale. Protected settings only, and store it separately.
Traditional associations
Malachite is traditionally associated with transformation and refusing to repeat a pattern. In chakra systems it is placed at the Heart, Solar Plexus, and in elemental correspondence it is assigned to Earth.
These are cultural associations recorded across various traditions, not claims about physical effects. The composition and hardness above are measurable; this paragraph is folklore, and worth reading as such.
Questions
What is Malachite made of?
Copper carbonate hydroxide (Cu₂CO₃(OH)₂), crystallising in the monoclinic system.
Where does Malachite come from?
DR Congo, Russia, Zambia, Australia.
How do I clean Malachite?
Dry or barely damp cloth only. Never ultrasonic, never acid — and never grind it, the dust is toxic.
How can I tell if Malachite is real?
Reconstituted malachite — powder bound in resin — is widespread. Natural banding is irregular and never repeats; reconstituted material is suspiciously uniform.
Can I wear it every day?
At 3.5–4 on the Mohs scale, not in a ring. Keep it to pieces that take fewer knocks.