Malachite is said to help us during times of turmoil and change. It is believed to aid us in reaching our goals by allowing us to see the obstacles that stand in our path and find ways to overcome these barriers. Malachite is thought to balance emotions, encourage patience, teach responsibility, increase concentration, and relieve stress. It is said to promote spiritual growth, release harmful emotions, foster loyalty, enhance harmony, and heighten intuition. It is even said to protect the wearer from negative energy and physical harm. If you own a business, malachite might be a good gemstone for you, as it is thought to encourage business success and prosperity. Malachite allows us to let go of past hurts and frees us from negative emotions. A word of caution: Malachite is said to intensify feelings, so it should only be worn when you’re feeling positive. Malachite is associated with the Zodiac signs of Aquarius, Virgo, Capricorn, and Scorpio. It is given as a gift for the 13th wedding anniversary.
The following two articles about Malachite were written by Stephanie Pflumm.
Malachite is a hydrated carbonate of copper, which means carbon dioxide, copper & water were pressured into forming this gemstone (sorry, a bad attempt at geology humor). Malachite will take on a number of forms, the most rare are small monoclinic crystal needles (much like a Tourmaline crystal) & prismatic crystals with wedge-like terminations. Malachite will also grow into nodular masses, stalactites, crusts, rosettes & botryoidal formations.
As the Malachite crystals grow, they form concentric rings of alternating shades of green & black. Giving this fibrous gemstone its unique grainy appearance. As with most high fiber stones, Malachite tends to have a slight silky lustre, especially the higher quality specimens.
In fact, if it were not for these unique features, the Malachite would have no value as a jewelry stone. It is very soft & can be scratched easily. It is hard to achieve a commercial shine on a cut stone. Though soft, it is not a brittle stone so it does cut easily. While it can’t be faceted into brightness, it does polish into a very saleable lustre.
Malachite is available almost anywhere copper is found. High quality specimens suitable for ornamental use are only found in two locations.
Russia has the best & most Malachite. The Nizhni-Tagilsk & Gumeshevsk Mines in the Ural Mountains (which are also full of copper) is where the largest specimens in the world have been found. The most beautiful specimens are also found in these mines.
The largest specimen ever mined was in 1835 at the Nizhni-Tagilsk Mine. It was 8 feet wide, just over 3 feet tall, 17 feet long & weighed close to 30 tons.
Australia comes in number two in Malachite. Queensland mines produce some of that continent’s most beautiful specimens. Specimens are comparable to the Russian gemstones.
Through the centuries the Russians have perfected the art of veneering Malachite onto large pieces of copper. Creating table tops, mantle pieces, even gigantic columns for their cathedrals & palaces.
Using the natural grain of the stone, they piece together a giant mosiac that appears to be one solid Malachite.
Malachite’s historical use as a power stone was to add energy to magical rituals & spells. A Sun figure was often carved into the gemstone to enhance it’s power.
You can use Malachite to clear & activate all of your Chakras. It is also helpful in stimulating your heart or throat Chakras..
Use a Malachite while you are working through a transformation. It will help clear your path & illuminate the steps to your goal.
To create successful business energy, keep this gemstone in your cash register, or set one in the four corners of your store. Keep one with you while working a trade show, or presenting to that Major Client.
For protective energies, Malachite can warn of danger & clear harmful energies. It is especially protective of children, (just don’t leave one where your toddler might grab & swallow it).
As a healing stone, Malachite can help provide insight into the causes of disorders or diseases of mind, body & spirit. It will assist in releasing emotions that can cause illness. Gazing at the swirling surface of the gemstone can help relax the nervous system.
Malachite can provide protection against radiation. Use it to relieve arthritis symptoms, pain from swollen joints, broken bones or torn muscles. It can also provide some health benefits to asthmatic patients, improve your immune system & cleanse your body on a cellular level.
This information was taken from ORE Features, a publication written by Stephanie Pflumm, reprinted with permission.
ORE FEATURES: Malachite
Malachite is a Grandmother stone. Her story goes back, past the burials of Egyptian royalty and into the years of unwritten history. Soft and pliant with swirling bands of green and black that intrigue the eye and launch the imagination. Malachite is easy to carve or drill, so she quickly was adopted as an adornment and talisman by our most ancient ancestors. Making her our Grandmother.
There is a chemical reaction when Copper is exposed to Carbon in rain water and precipitation, it becomes Malachite. Sometimes this happens very slowly allowing crystals, stalactites and massive stone formations to grow. Other times it happens rapidly (especially in geological terms) as Bronze (an alloy of Copper) and Copper turn green from exposure to weather.
Crystals of Malachite are extremely rare, many are rounded, boytroidal (grape like) formations. On occasion monoclinic crystals (thin) and prismatic wedges are discovered, usually as twins. Very few Malachite crystals are large enough to be cut into gemstones. Ornamental pieces of the stoned are carved to exploit Malachite's intricate concentric bands.
These bands form as the gemstone grows through centuries of different hydrothermal events, rain and or precipitation. Rings forming "eyes", sometimes referred to as peacock's eyes, are highly sought after by the jewelry industry.
Azurite, Turquoise and Chalcopyrite are some of Malachite's Copper cousins. Malachite and Azurite are especially close, often growing into one stone.
In the earliest written documents on natural gifts, Malachite was associated with the herb Mallow, and the Greek word for this herb, Malache may be the origins of its name. Other references cite Malakos the Greek term for soft as the root for Malachite.
Anywhere that Copper is found, Malachite is available. The earliest mines were believed to be in Western Asia where they were smelting the gemstone to produce Copper. Much of the Copper produced there ended up in Egypt. Today some of the world's prettiest specimens come from Zaire, Australia and Bisbee Arizona in the Southwest US. It is also abundant in England, Namibia, Chile, France, Mexico, Germany, South Africa and Romania.One very important location for the Malachite gemstone is missing from the list above.
The Ural Mountains of Russian gave birth an unbelievable array of gems and crystals during their formative centuries. It is no wonder that these magical mountains also gave birth to a mythical Mistress of Copper Mountain, protector of of the mountain's crystal children.
In 1944 (that's the oldest copyright I could find) Pavel Bazhov wrote a book called "The Malachite Casket". This collection of stories about the Mistress of Copper Mountain is based on tales the miners from the Urals have passed down. Many of these stories revolve around Malachite gemstones and the consequences of stealing or being given these gifts from the Mistress.
An unrelated reference mentioned an old Russian tradition that claims drinking from a goblet made of Malachite, allows you to understand the animals. It made me wonder if this tradition comes from one of the Ural Mountains tales of the Mistress.
Egyptians were some of the first to use the crystal as an adornment. Besides wearing jewelry made from Malachite, a powder made from the stone was also applied as eye make-up. This was probably not wise, as the dust from Malachite can be toxic.
Hanging a Malachite from an infant's cradle was believed to keep away evil spirits and give the child a restful sleep. In Germany a talisman of Malachite and Turquoise was suppose to keep you from falling. If your stone breaks, it means that danger is coming.
Italians would carve the image of a rooster on the stone to enhance it's protective powers. Rooster represented the power of the Sun, which held dominion over demons and was a defender of children, women and the weak. Other traditions would simply carve the image of the Sun for the same protective enhancement or to protect against the venom of poisonous creatures. Malachite stones with eye rings were often carved into a triangular shape and set in Silver to be worn as protection against the "Evil Eye".
Malachite might provide protection against poisonous spiders or snakes, but it doesn't protect you from itself. For many years oil paints were created by crushing this gemstone. When this paint becomes damp it emits toxic fumes. If you carve or work around the dust of this crystal, keep the stone wet as you are working and please wear a respirator.
In you own life, Malachite can work for you on many levels. In your personal life it can help you in appreciating the beauty around you. Not just the beauty of our planet, but it will also help you to understand and value the artistic accomplishments of our species.
Using this gemstone with other stones or tools will enhance their powers. Whether you are trying to improve your financial situation, a health problem or bringing some other change, Malachite will add its creative energies and an extra boost to your creative work.
To draw customers to your business, try placing Malachite in the four corners of your store, or simply keep a piece in your cash register. If you are involved in a job that requires you to "sell", Malachite will aid you with your presentation skills, helping you find the right words for each different customer and facilitate in closing the deal. Partners in business can exchange this gem to promote loyalty, honesty and success in the partnership.
Are you trying to release a bad habit or harmful thoughts from your life? Are you trying to let go of a past injury that is still festering in your heart? When you send something out of your life, even a harmful thing, you must fill the space that you have emptied. Sometimes it takes us a while to know how to refill that emptiness with something that will nurture as oppose to harm. Malachite can serve as a "filler" as you go through the process of letting go. Protecting you from refilling your new empty space with different, but similar destructive emotions because they "feel comfortable".
If you are having trouble reaching a goal, try some meditations with Malachite. It will aid you in seeing what obstacles lay in your path and assist you in developing a step by step plan that will get you where you want to be. It teaches responsibility while helping you to understand problems and actions on a very intuitive level so that you can respond to them instinctively.
In health, Malachite is especially helpful in opening and stimulating the Heart Chakra, helping to heal emotional blockages that can lead to an unhealthy body. Its Copper content makes it an excellent candidate for relief from arthritis. For many centuries midwives carried the stone to assist with deliveries. It is also beneficial in relieving cramps and other problems from menstruation.
Its historic association with different female divinities has also made it popular as a stone for female health. Promoting healthy development of a young girl into womanhood. Malachite may also assist with mending broken bones, improving immunity and the circulatory system.
Some references cite it as a detoxifyer, but given Malachite's potential to be poisonous, I don't recommend making elixirs from this gemstone.
This information was taken from ORE Features, a publication written by Stephanie Pflumm, reprinted with permission.
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