|
Malachite
This
hydrous carbonate of copper occurring in nature as an opaque stone,
varying in colour from very light to very dark green. It has
characteristic banding and is fragile and easily scratched.
Like ivory, this mineral has been over exploited by African crafts-
men for a limitless production of tasteless, poor quality objects such
as book-ends and paper weights. In ancient times it was widely used
for jewelry and other ornaments because it was easy to work with and
susceptible of a high polish.
It is found in the vicinity of copper mines and comes mainly from
Africa and Russia, and to a lesser extent Australia and South America.
|
Name |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Malachite |
3.5+ |
3.75-3.95 |
Monoclinic
|
Perfect
|
1.655-1.909
|
-0.254
|
None
|
v Strong |
None |
|
