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Malachite - Sold


Malachite is a green copper carbonate, named after the Greek word malache, mallows. Most malachite occurs as fine fibrous or massive aggregates of such. Natural malachite crystals are universally found to be microscopically twinned (Makovicky & Merlino, 2019). Very rarely, malachite forms large bladed or blocky crystals.

This is an unusual specimen, featuring bladed malachite crystals to 1.3 cm on matrix. While similar looking often form by pseudomorphism of azurite, these crystals here formed directly from solution, i.e. they are primary. Rare stuff! This specimen comes with a vintage label from Gilbert Gauthier (1924-2006).