Malachite is named after Greek word for "mallow" because of its resemblance to the leaves of the Mallow plant. It is a green, very common secondary copper mineral with a widely variable habit. Malachite shows a banding of light and dark layers with concentric rings, straight stripes and other figurative shapes caused by its shell-like formation.
Malachite was popular in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome and was used for jewelry, amulets, as a powder for eye shadow and colouring pigment. Nowadays it is popular for jewelry and ornaments.
Malachite Treatments:-
Malachite often takes a rather poor polish and paraffin wax is used to improve the appearance and hide small cracks; epoxy resins could be similarly used - Nassau (1984)
The surface can be hardened with artificial resin. - Gemstones of the world, Walter Schumann, 2001, p 176
Significant Gem Localities:-
It is mined in Congo, France, Gabon, Israel, Zambia, Namibia, Mexico, Australia and United States.
Mohs scale hardness 3.5 – 4.0
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