Malachite Meaning

Malachite has a bold energy which ignites within us a desire for positive personal transformation and adventure. It helps us to recognize our own gifts and to honor our dreams by doing whatever is necessary to make them a reality. It amplifies our energy and can be used to explore other worlds, both external and internal, allowing us to gain important insights and open our hearts to the power of unconditional love. Malachite encourages us to take more risks and be bold, while also offering us psychic and environmental protection. It grounds and calms our energetic body and cleanses the Chakras. It also amplifies nature affinities and attracts devas and other nature spirits and guides.

Malachite is a rare secondary, copper-derive mineral. It is formed when carbon-dioxide-rich water reacts with subsurface copper ores.  The carbonic acid in the waters dissolves some of the copper, which is then transported to another geochemical environment.  If the new location has a hotter temperature, the water will evaporate leaving trace minerals behind which can then form into Azurite and other minerals.  Later on, if Azurite becomes exposed to the open air and allowed to weather, it will transform into green Malachite.

Malachite’s energy works well with its “friends” – crystal associates formed in the same geological environment.  Try it in combination with Azurite, Chrysocolla, and Copper.  Try also Azurite Malachite

In many books and websites about healing crystals there are references to Malachite being a toxic gem.  Some sources will say it’s dangerous in elixirs or to wear as jewelry.  Oftentimes, people are cautioned to keep it away from children and pets.  Depending on the source, the danger level may change depending on whether the Malachite is rough/raw vs polished, as well as whether it’s wet or dry.  So how toxic is it in reality?

Malachite is a copper-derived mineral.  Chemically speaking, there’s nothing particularly toxic about it.  Copper is the main metal used in water pipes which means we are exposed to copper-water on a routine basis.  Alternative medicine often touts the many benefits of wearing copper bracelets with the intention of absorbing copper particles through the skin, as an antidote to copper deficiency in the body.  Moreover, Malachite has been used in cosmetics for thousands of years and that tradition continues today.

Malachite’s main danger is to miners and polishers who may find themselves exposed to fine Malachite-dust.  Dust, from any mineral, will irritate the lungs and long-term exposure can cause serious problems.  The finer and lighter the dust, the easier it is to breath in.  As a result, polishers tend to be at greater risk than miners.  In good lapidaries, polishers will wear protective masks to guard against dust in the air.  In addition, the polishing discs are kept wet so that most of the dust sticks to it, rather than going into the air.  However, Malachite-dust will leech copper particles into the water, which can then be absorbed through the skin.  After a few hours polishing Malachite, workers have reported a metallic taste on their tongue like they were sucking on a penny.  Long-term exposure will lead to a build-up of copper in the body, which can potentially pose a threat to the liver.

Malachite has long historical traditions, dating back to the very dawn of history. As such it was included in virtually all ancient, medieval, and modern lapidaries, texts describing gemstones and their powers. Malachite’s name comes from the Greek “mallow,” the name of a common plant whose leafy color is similar to the stone.

Malachite was first mined in the Sinai, near the modern day Suez Canal, as early as 5000 BCE. This brilliant green stone is relatively soft and can be carved easily or crumbled into a powder and mixed with water, oil, or wax to produce green paint. Malachite was very highly prized among the ancient Egyptians, who used it for cosmetics, specifically eyeliner, as well as using it in paintings and for pottery glazes and colored glass. The Egyptians carved Malachite into amulets and decorative items, with well-known powers. Malachite was believed to protect the owner from evil, to help infants sleep quietly, and to keep poisonous animals away. Such was the high esteem of Malachite in ancient Egypt that it was also linked to the gods, specifically the sun god Horus. Malachite was the “Green bed of the Sun” or “Horus on his green.” The dwelling place of the gods was occasionally described as being “near Malachite lake(s).”

Malachite’s reputation as a protective and healing stone remained strong throughout the ancient and medieval eras. In various medicinal texts and lapidaries, Malachite was recommended to stop fainting spells, prevent hernias, soothe colic in babies, and relieve muscle spasms and cardiac pains. In the 1502 Speculum Lapidar, the author, Italian physician Camillus Leonardus, strongly recommended that Malachite be hung from cradles to protect the infant from both physical and spiritual harm. Malachite is often found with bands, stripes and loops in varying shades of green, occasionally forming natural “eyes.” These Malachite eyes are particularly prized throughout the Mediterranean world, where they have been used for centuries to keep the “Evil Eye” at bay.

During the 19th century a huge deposit of Malachite was found in the Ural Mountains of Russia. Giant slabs, weighting as much as 56 tons for a single block, were extracted and sold to Western Europe or kept to decorate the palaces and churches of Mother Russia. Some of the great “crystal wonders of the world” include Malachite from this deposit. For example, the Malachite pillars found inside St. Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg. Construction on this enormous church began in 1818 and continued for almost 40 years, and among the interior decorations are over 16 varieties of Marble and Granite, as well as huge quantities of Lapis Lazuli. However, the most impressive aspect of the Cathedral is the eight massive Malachite pillars flanking icons painted on the wall behind the altar.

Similarly impressive is the so-called “Malachite Room” in the Winter Palace of St. Petersburg, designed during the same period as St. Isaac’s Cathedral. The room was intended to be a drawing room for Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (also called Charlotte of Prussia, 1825-1860), the wife of Czar Nicolas I. Her private room features pilasters, columns, mantelpieces, doors, and sumptuous vases all carved from Malachite. White walls, golden gilt decorations and crimson curtains tied the rest of the room together in an opulent show of wealth and power.