5 Interesting Tidbits About…Malachite

malachite

I’ve always had a thing for malachite. There’s something about the glamorous green stone and its concentric stripes that I can’t get enough of. Judging by its prominence on the decorative arts scene, I’m not alone. I decided to do a little research on the mineral to see what all the fuss is about. Below you’ll find an interesting tidbits about the stone and a roundup of my favorite malachite pieces (real and faux!) on the market today.

1 // Malachite was appreciated as a gemstone by the Ancient Egyptians who began mining the green stone as early as 4000 BC.

2 // Malachite was ground to powder by the Ancient Egyptians for eyeshadow and paint.

3 // The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans believed malachite warded off evil spirits. It was often carved into amulets and has a long history of having protective qualities.

4 // The Russian Tsars often used malachite to decorate their palaces. Someday I hope to visit the Malachite Hall of the Winter Palace, part of Saint Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum.

5 // Malachite has been found all over the world, including Zaire, Russia, Germany, France, Chile, Australia, Arizona and New Mexico.