- Size: individual pieces, approximately 2–3 cm
- Material: Malachite (Cu₂CO₃(OH)₂)
- Hardness: 3.6–4 Mohs
- Shape: Botryoidal (grape-like)
- Surface: Silky, light-refractive
Malachite, a basic copper carbonate, is a vivid green mineral formed through the alteration of copper ores. The name malachite derives from the Greek words malachítēs líthos (μαλαχίτης λίθος), meaning “mallow stone”. The name refers to the mallow plant, as the green colour of malachite was thought to resemble the shade of its leaves. Malachite is a compact, fine-crystalline mineral that commonly occurs in rounded, kidney-shaped formations and aggregates.
Symbolic Meaning
Malachite has been valued for thousands of years. It was admired by the Egyptians, as well as by the Greeks and the Romans. It was regarded as an important protective stone, and protective amulets, jewellery, and decorative objects were made from it. In ancient Egypt, the colour green (wadj) was associated with death, resurrection, new life, vegetation, and fertility. The Egyptians believed that after death they would enter a paradise sometimes poetically referred to as the “Fields of Malachite”, a realm resembling the world of the living but without suffering or scarcity.
Malachite was believed to ward off harmful influences and to help with eye ailments. It was likely for this reason that ground malachite was also used as eye pigment. In some contemporary esoteric traditions, malachite is considered an evolving stone and is regarded as one of the most significant healing stones of the new millennium. Such interpretations also suggest that malachite may be used for divination or for accessing other realms.
According to tradition, generals in ancient Greece wore bracelets and rings made of malachite while leading their celebrated battles, convinced that the stone would help them achieve victory. The French writer Marbodus recommended that children and young people wear malachite as a talisman to ensure a peaceful night’s sleep. In seventeenth-century Spain, it was believed that a malachite amulet worn around a child’s neck would protect the child during sleep and keep evil spirits at bay. During the Middle Ages, wearing malachite around the neck was thought to relieve toothache. Over the centuries, malachite has been believed to offer protection against witches, lightning strikes, stomach ailments, and curses, and to attract success, good fortune, and worldly wealth.
Malachite contains copper and should therefore not be placed in the mouth. When sawn, ground, or crushed, the resulting dust may irritate the respiratory tract, and prolonged exposure to copper dust is not recommended. In its natural, solid form, malachite is safe to store and handle under normal conditions of use.
