Malachite: The Mirror of the Soul

Naturally, Malachite immediately caught my eye because of its beautiful green color, which so happens to be my favorite color. Growing up my brother and I were the outdoorsy children. We would always love going outside and have little scavenger hunts for rocks and shells. We always loved finding neat stones with bright and different colors, as well as stones made of different minerals. We even had a rock and mineral collection in our house and one of my favorite pieces was a Malachite. Malachite is called the “mirror of the soul” because it is believed that it heals on physical and emotional levels, drawing out impurities and stimulating the Life Force throughout the aura and body. In the Middle Ages, it was believed that Malachite could protect against the “Evil Eye” and to cure various stomach alignments. The stone was one of the prime gemstones that symbolized power by the upper class in Egypt.

Malachite is made up of basic Copper carbonate minerals. Malachite is a bright green carbonate that is considered a secondary mineral of Copper that forms around Copper and limestone deposits as a result of weathering. It is commonly found alongside Azurite, Goethite, and Calcite deposits. Except for the green color, the properties of Malachite are similar to those of Azurite and aggregates of the two minerals occur frequently. Large quantities of Malachite have been mined in the Urals, Russia. Ural Malachite is not being mined at the present time, but G.N. Vertushkova, who is an eminent scientist/mineralogist, reports the possible discovery of new deposits of Malachite in the Urals. Malachite is found worldwide in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Gabon; Zambia; Tsumeb; Namibia; Mexico; Broken Hill, New South Wales; Lyon, France; Timna Valley, Israel; and the Southwestern United States, most notably in Arizona.

Malachite’s name derives from Greek, molochitis lithos, meaning “mallow-green stone” Malachite is named after the Mallow plant because the mineral looks like its leaves. The Mallow plant is part of a large family of Malvaceae plants that include cotton, okra, and hibiscus. Its leaves are circular to kidney-shaped. Malachite has fascinated humans for thousands of years. Archaeological evidence indicates that the mineral has been mined and smelted to obtain Copper at Timna Valley in Israel for over 3,000 years. Malachite was used as a pigment in green paints from antiquity until about 1800.  The pigment is very sensitive to acids, and varying in color. Since then Malachite has been used as both ornamental stone and as a gemstone.

The green color makes it a very popular gemstone. It is cut into cabochons, used to produce beads, sliced into inlay material, sculpted into ornamental objects, and used to manufacture tumbled stones. Inlay covers a range of techniques in sculpture and the decorative arts. Often colored materials are formed into ornaments and tumbled stones. Tumbled stones are small pieces of rock and minerals that have been processed to produce rounded and highly polished pebbles, similar to the smooth rocks you would put in a fish bowl. Small boxes made from slices of Malachite are attractive and popular. Malachite’s use as gem and ornamental stone is limited by its properties. It is sensitive to heat and with weak acids which dissociates in an aqueous solution such as water, cola, or saltwater. These properties further limit its use and require care during cleaning, repair, and maintenance.

It is also used for decorative purposes, such as in the Malachite Room in the Hermitage, which features a huge malachite vase, and the Malachite Room in Castillo de Chapultepec in Mexico City. Malachite is believed to be known for its healing properties and many other things. As a healing gemstone, a Malachite stone is used to cleanse and balance the energies of the heart, lungs, and other organs. This can be accomplished by wearing a stone on a chain so it hangs near the heart and between the lungs. Some believe Malachite can be used to identify the ways to reach a goal. Malachite has been used to aid success in business and protect against undesirable business associations. It is a stone of balance in relationships. Some people say if you meditate with Malachite and allow it to show you where dis-harmonies are within your mind, body, and soul and allow it to show you how to improve them.

If you feel like you could use a little healing or positive energy in your life or maybe you just love the color and the chemical compound like I do the check out our website. At Heritage we offer a variety of pieces of Malachite in our weekly internet sales. We have everything from spheres to rough specimens. Also check out our Signature Auction on June 2 and you’ll find several marvelous pieces of Malachite.

By: Brittany Nalley