malachite

views updated May 08 2018

malachite Mineral, Cu2CO3(OH)2; sp. gr. 3.9–4.0; hardness 3.5–4.0; monoclinic; bright green; pale green streak; in fibrous condition with a silky lustre, crystals with adamantine or vitreous lustre; crystals very rare, and it is usually found as botryoidal, encrusting masses with bands of varying colour, and frequently in a fibrous, radiating habit; common secondary mineral in the oxidized zone of copper deposits, associated with azurite, native copper, and cuprite; soluble with effervescence in dilute hydrochloric acid. It is often used for ornaments and pigments, and as an ore mineral for copper. See SPESSARTITE.

malachite

views updated Jun 11 2018

mal·a·chite / ˈmaləˌkīt/ • n. a bright green mineral consisting of copper hydroxyl carbonate. It typically occurs in masses and fibrous aggregates with azurite and is capable of taking a high polish.

malachite

views updated May 18 2018

malachite XVI (melo-). — OF. melochite (now malachite) — L. molochītēs — Gr. molokhîtis, f. molókhē, var. of malákhē MALLOW; see -ITE.

Malachite

views updated Jun 11 2018

Malachite

A precious stone (a variety of topaz) of basic copper carbonate. Folklore held that it preserved the cradle of an infant from spells.

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