Malachite is a green, copper-carbonate mineral that is typically associated with blue azurite or native copper.
Pronunciation: MAL•ah•kite (accent on capitalized syllable)
Color: bright green
Luster: earthy to silky
Diaphaneity: translucent, but appears to be opaquen in hand specimen
Hardness: 3.5-4
Specific gravity: 3.9-4.03
Other distinguishing properties: Malachite forms earthy green crusts or radiating fibrous crystals that form botyoidal (bulbous) forms. Malachite dissolves in hydrochloric acid, with some effervescence (fizzing).
Klein, C., and Hurlbut, C.S., Jr., 1999, Manual of Mineralogy (after James D. Dana) [21st edition, revised]: New York, John Wiley & Sons, 682 p.
Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, The Photo Atlas of Minerals: nhm.org/pam/
Return to the Minerals page.
