The name malachite comes from the Greek word "Mallache", which means "green", and is so beautifully named because of its bright color, which resembles the green spots on a peacock's feathers.
[Malachite]
Class: Carbonate mineral
Chemical composition: Basic copper carbonate
Chemical formula: Cu2(OH)2CO3
Crystal system: monoclinic crystal system
Transparency: Translucent~Opaque
Refractive index: 1.66~1.91
Birefringence: 0.25
Specific gravity: 3.5～4.0
Hardness: 3.5～4.0
Color: emerald green, dark green
Origin: Zambia, Australia, Russia, Congo, USA, China, etc.
[How to choose malachite]
①Color
Malachite contains copper inside, thus showing a bright green color. Its hue can vary from light green to dark green, and each one has a different surface pattern. Malachite with different colors has different values. Generally speaking, with a bright, pure and evenly distributed color and a clear, beautiful striped pattern on the surface, the overall value of this kind of malachite is relatively high.
② Clarity
Malachite is an opaque gemstone and therefore does not require extreme clarity and transparency like other gemstones. After polishing, malachite will have an attractive glassy or silky luster.
③Texture
The density and hardness of a softer textured malachite is on the low side. Therefore, a good quality malachite requires a dense structure, fine texture, no holes, no flaws, and the hardness and relative density should be on the high side.
④Cutting
When cutting malachite, the gem cutter should take into account their surface texture and maximize the retention of the original weight of the stone, as well as displaying its beautiful color and natural texture through the cut. In general, malachite is mostly cut into cabochons, but it can also be used for carvings, such as figurines and cameos, and is sometimes cut into rounds for fine jewelry, with some jewelers even preferring to use free-form malachite to bring out the natural appearance of the stone. Due to its low hardness (3.5 to 4.0), malachite's softness makes it unsuitable for cutting into fancy cuts, so faceted cuts are rarely used.
⑤Weight Size
All other qualities being equal, weight size also affects the value of malachite, with the price increasing with size, but basically, the increase is not too dramatic.
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