Description
Malachite, Natural, Smooth Rondelle, 3x6mm
This price is for one strand 15" to 16" long
3x6mm rondelle strands have 155 to 160 pieces
Malachite is a vibrant green copper carbonate mineral known for its distinctive banded patterns. Ranging from light bright green to dark forest green, malachite almost always forms in swirling concentric rings or stripes. This happens as copper-rich water drips through underground caverns over thousands of years, depositing thin layers of mineral crust, a botryoidal habit. Its high copper content (around 57%) is what gives the mineral its intense green color. It frequently forms alongside azurite, a deep-blue copper mineral.
Raw malachite dust contains concentrated copper and is toxic if inhaled or ingested. Lapidaries must use wet saws and respirators when cutting or polishing it. Finished, polished stones are safe to handle.
Malachite forms near the Earth's surface where copper deposits oxidize. It’s mined in Congo by far the largest global producer today, supplying almost all of the world's high-grade, heavily banded malachite. Other active regions mined in notable quantities include Zambia, Australia, Namibia, Mexico, and the Southwestern United States: Arizona, New Mexico, Utah.
Hardness 3.5 to 4
This is a natural stone that has had no treatment other than cutting, drilling, and polishing
The source of these beads is South Africa and they are cut, drilled and polished in China
