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Malachite
This mesmerising green mineral is malachite, formed by the surface weathering process of copper ore. While definitive origins are uncertain, it is likely this specimen comes from the Central African Copperbelt, home to the world’s largest copper and cobalt reserves.
Malachite has a rich historical heritage, having been used since antiquity for adornment and worn by ancient civilisations in Egypt, Rome and Greece. The name is derived from the Greek ‘Malache’, meaning the mallow leaf, so named for the resemblance in colour. For ancient Egyptians in particular, the colour green was highly symbolic and associated with life, growth and fertility. Accordingly, malachite powder was used cosmetically to create the ornate eye makeup prevalent at the time. The mineral later found favour in 1900’s Russia, indeed St. Isaac’s Cathedral and the Winter Palace St. Petersburg feature malachite columns and a malachite drawing room respectively.