Malachite
“Swirls of copper green”
Mineral
Malachite is a copper carbonate mineral famous for its vivid green color and distinctive banded patterns. It forms in the oxidation zone of copper deposits and has been used as a pigment, ornamental stone, and copper ore for thousands of years.
Composition
copper carbonate hydroxide (Cu₂CO₃(OH)₂)
Where Found
Democratic Republic of Congo, Ural Mountains (Russia), Arizona (USA), Zambia
Mohs Hardness
3.5-4
Fun Fact
The columns of St. Isaac's Cathedral in Saint Petersburg are clad with over 20,000 kilograms of malachite veneer.
Test Your Knowledge
Why does malachite almost always occur alongside the blue mineral azurite?
Related Specimens
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