One of the earliest-known sources of malachite was mined by the Egyptians in the Sinai Desert thousands of years ago. Since that time, this lovely, green hydrous copper carbonate has been mined in quantity all over the world.
Russia’s Ural Mountains was once the source of tons of the world’s most beautiful banded malachite, and the copper mines of the Katanga (Shaba) Copperbelt of Central Africa are currently yielding huge masses of green copper carbonate.
Russia is unquestionably famous for its amazing banded malachite gem material. Artisans, decorators, and museum experts agree that Russian malachite is the most beautiful in the world. It was mined in such quantities that artisans were able to produce breathtaking malachite objects that are now found worldwide. Visit stately palaces in Mexico, England and Europe, and many state buildings and countless museums throughout the world, and you can view wonderful creations made of Russia’s malachite. These objects are highly prized and eagerly displayed, and their value borders on priceless.
Russian malachite exhibits light- to dark-green bands, some so dark as to be almost black. The bands can be any width, from under an inch to several inches wide. The curving, undulating bands are spectacular, taking many forms, from bull’s-eyes to graceful, sweeping curves.
Two Russian copper mines, the Mednorodyskoye and Gumshevskit, established in the Middle Ural Mountains in the 1800s, were particularly productive of large pieces of malachite. Among the multiton masses of malachite recovered was one chunk that weighed around 250 tons, with many others in the 50-ton range! These large masses were not completely solid, but were shot through with vugs and cavities. This made obtaining large slabs impossible, but explains why the Russians developed the technique called “Russian malachite mosaic”.
Denne historien er fra December 2017-utgaven av Rock&Gem Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra December 2017-utgaven av Rock&Gem Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Rockhounding Ohio's Lake Erie Islands
A short ferry boat ride three miles from Ohio’s Lake Erie coastline is South Bass Island, better known as Put-in-Bay or the “Key West of the North.”
Iowa's Hidden Treasures
Exploring Keokuk Geodes: How They're Made & What's Inside
Agatized CORAL
Florida's Collectible State Stone
Rockhounding Florida's Beaches
Beachcombing serene stretches of Florida can reveal fascinating finds like fossilized shark teeth, sea glass, quartz, agate and even coral fragments.
Collecting Staurolite
Hot Spots In Virginia & Georgia
Pecos Valley Diamonds
New Mexico's Ancient Attraction
12 Tips for Rockhounding Tucson's Greatest Shows
Tucson in February becomes the international hub for buying and selling colored gems, rocks, minerals and fossils.
Turquoise in the American Southwest
A Water & Sky Souvenir
Touring Colorado's MINERAL BELT
It's a Showcase of Mining History & Minerals
Geology &Colorado's Taurish Traiks
Most of Colorado’s tourist trains today were originally constructed in the late 1800s to serve the state’s lucrative mining operations.