Malachite

Description:  Malachite is a copper carbonate hydroxide mineral.  It is found deep underground where the water table is high.  Rarely seen as crystals malachite’s beautiful green stalactites are mostly found formed as prisms.

Color:  Malachite wow with a beautiful spectrum of vibrant greens, ranging from very pale to the darkest black green.  The gemstone is also striated with dark green and black lines.

Wedding Anniversary:  If you want to buy a wedding gift for a 13 year marriage Malachite is the ideal gemstone to offer friends and loved ones.

The Healing Qualities of Malachite Stone:  Malachite is a powerful decongestant and is useful to anyone with asthma, as it releases the bronchial tubes. Often referred to as the athletes stone, Malachite eases painful muscles, rebuilds elasticity into torn tendons and ligaments and is useful  for people suffering from swollen joints.

Types of Malachite Used for Healing:  Not all malachite gemstones have healing properties. The key to their powers lies in the stripes.  For this reason, look carefully at the markings; the darker and sharper they are the better the healer. Only gems with a pale green background with dark green or black lines have therapeutic energies. The healing properties of Malachite gems are also diminished if set into metal – except that is for copper which enhance its qualities. It therefore has better use as an amulet or talisman than in jewelry.

Malachite Mystical Powers:  Malachite reflects emotions like a mirror, it allows you to look at them objectively and gain insights into them. It also protects travelers against accidents and is a popular lucky charm among commercial and military airline pilots.

Malachite also has an especial affinity with business people, especially those in sales.  It attracts good deals and discourages bad business associations. It also protects against bad dreams especially in infant children. Hang it over your babies cot and they are sure to have good dreams and sleep, well, like a baby!

The History of Malachite Stones:  Malachite was originally mined in Egypt, close to what would now call the Suez.  It was also mined in the famous King Solomon’s Mines on the Red Sea.  So prized was the emerald green beauty of Malachite that thousands of gems adorned the walls of the Temple of Athena, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

When a large reserve was discovered in the Urals the Russians acquired a taste for the green beauty.  By the 19th century, Russian newspapers reported “To afford having a big piece wrought in malachite is synonymous to owning diamonds.”Malachite bracelets in ancient Egypt enjoyed something of a boom after it was noticed that none of the miners working in the Malachite mines had fallen victim to the cholera epidemic that swept across the country. Ever aware of the magical properties in stones, the Egyptians created malachite as a new fashion accessory. However, it also became a fashionable color for eyeshadow, but the large quantities of noxious copper seeped into their blood and sent them slowly mad. The Name’s Origin:  The origin of the name is from the Latin Molochitis, and then from the ancient Greek meaning Mallow Green stone, named after the color of the leaves of the Mallow plant.

Care and Treatment:  Malachite has a hardness scale of just 3.5 which means that it chips very easily.  Water will also take off the polish. Wipe over with a soft cloth.

Malachite Around the World:  The most important supply of Malachite is found in Zaire.  It is also found in the Urals, Zambia and in Lyon, France.

The Ideal Gift:  A gift of the semiprecious stone is a beautiful way to welcome a new baby home. A malachite talisman is a gentle guardian. Likewise, if friends or family are jetting off on their travels a malachite amulet with keep them safe from injury. Or perhaps you have an entrepreneurial friends embarking on a new business adventure. Bring them good luck with a charming malachite gift.