Alternative Names: None
Origin: notably, DR Congo and Morocco
Mineral Species: Malachite
Mineral Group: Carbonates
Chemical Formula: Cu2CO3(OH)2
Hardness: 3.5-4
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Colour: Light to dark green
Typical Appearance: Usually found masive as thick crusts with a botryoidal surface and a fibrous and banded structure. When crystals are found they are small, acicular or prismatic with wedge-shaped terminations.
Birthstone: Capricorn and Scorpio
Chakra Alignment: Heart
Element: Earth
Origin of Name & Mythology: Named in antiquity after the Greek μαλαχή, "mallows," in allusion to the green color of the leaves.
Malachite has been used medicinally in many cultures for thousands of years. It is a powerful healer and balancer on every level, and has natural bacteriostatic qualities, so can be used to support the immune system and fight infection. Some refer to it as the “midwife stone”, as it is used to ease both labour and period pains, and with its high copper content, is believed to draw off heat and inflammation, and so is an effective treatment for relieving osteoarthritis and other inflammatory illnesses or injuries, as well as reducing fever. It has been used as a protective amulet throughout history, and in modern crystal healing, is often employed to absorb pollution and electromagnetic energy around computers and other electrical appliances.