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| Chemistry:
Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 [Copper
Carbonate
Hydroxide] | Discovery:
Prehistoric;
IMA
status: Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered). Malachite
gets its name from the Greek
word, malache, meaning mallow, a green
herb, in reference to green leaf color. |
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Classification
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Mineral
Classification: |
Carbonates |
Strunz 8th
Ed. ID:
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5/C.01-20 |
Nickel-Strunz 10th
Ed. ID:
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5.BA.10 |
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5 : CARBONATES (NITRATES) B : Carbonates with additional
anions, without H2O A : With Cu, Co, Ni, Zn, Mg, Mn
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Related
to: |
Azurite - Rosasite Group and related compounds
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Crystal
Data
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Crystallography:
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Monoclinic
- Prismatic |
Crystal
Habit:
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Crystals
are acicular to prismatic, thick tabular, equant, several
other forms, rounded, in sprays and crude composite
aggregates, to 9 cm; typically stalactitic, mammillary,
botryoidal, as such, radially fibrous internally.
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Twinning:
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Untwinned crystals are extremely rare. Typically twinned on [100], sometimes as
penetration or polysynthetic twinning.
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Physical
Properties
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Cleavage: |
[201] Perfect,
[010] Fair
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Fracture: |
Subconchoidal
to Uneven
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Tenacity:
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Brittle
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Moh's
Hardness: |
3.5
- 4.0
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Density:
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3.60 - 4.05 (g/cm3) |
Luminescence:
|
None |
Radioactivity:
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Not
Radioactive
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Other: |
Very
slightly
soluble in water containing CO2 |
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Optical
Properties
|
|
|
Color: |
Bright
Green, Green, Dark green, Blackish green |
Transparency: |
Transparent
to Subtranslucent to Opaque |
Luster: |
Adamantine
or Vitreous
in crystals, Silky
if fibrous, Dull or Earthy if massive |
Refractive
Index: |
1.655 - 1.909 Biaxial
( - ) |
Birefringence: |
0.2540 |
Dispersion: |
Relatively
weak; r < v
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Pleochroism: |
X
= nearly colorless; Y = yellowish green; Z = deep green.
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Occurances
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Geological
Setting: |
A
common secondary mineral formed in the oxidation zone
of copper deposits; locally may be an ore of copper. |
Common
Associations: |
Aurichalite,
Atacamite, Azurite, Brochantite, Calcite, Chalcedony,
Chrysocolla, Cuprite, Limonite, Tenorite, Wad |
Type
Locality: |
n/a;
Prehistoric |
Discovery: |
Prehistoric |
View
mineral photos: |
Malachite
Mineral Photos and Locations |
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More
Information
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|
Mindat.org Webmineral.com |
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Malachite is
one of the most popular semi-precious or decorative
stones and has been for many years. This is due
to its beautiful, patterned bands of light
and dark green, its availability and relatively low
cost. It has been used in jewelry from the southwest
as a beautiful accent or combined with Turquoise or Azurite.
It is popular as mounted cabochons, pendants, beads,
sculptures, boxes and can even be turned on a lathe
to make goblets and candlesticks. Facetable crystals
are extremely small since larger ones are too opaque.
Malachite occurs in the oxidized portions of copper
ore with Azurite and Cuprite.
Malachite is available from many sources worldwide including
Bisbee and Gila in Arizona, USA; New Mexico and Utah,
USA; Zambia; Broken Hill, N.S.W., Australia; Tsumeb,
Namibia; Nizhne-Tagilsk, Zaire; and immense masses up
to 50 tons from Mednorudyansk, Russia.
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Malachite
gems for sale:
We
have not photographed our Malachite gems yet. Please
check back soon!
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