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Is your malachite real?
You have a feeling about your malachite. Let's find out if you're right.
Malachite is a copper carbonate. Much of what is sold under the name is reconstituted, meaning crushed malachite powder set in resin, or a polymer imitation with no malachite in it. Both are common, and neither is the solid stone.
A photo gets you close. The test below makes you sure.
127 crystals catalogued1,524 readings written, one per stone per sign113 guides in the Journal
Option one
Upload a photo
Daylight, plain background, close enough to see the surface. Your phone strips the location off the photo before it ever leaves you.
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Option two
Tell us what it was sold as
Pick the name off the label. I will give you the test for that stone, and the cheap thing it usually gets swapped for.
Your stone
You said Malachite.
Malachite is one of the ones people get sold wrong. So this is where the checking starts, not where it ends. Run the test below.
The test that settles it
Scratch it somewhere hidden. Malachite is soft, 3.5 to 4 on the Mohs hardness scale, and it leaves a bright green streak. Plastic and glass fakes leave no green streak, and they often show mould seams or trapped bubbles. A drop of vinegar fizzes on malachite because it is a carbonate. That fizz etches the stone, so use it only on an edge that is already damaged. Wash your hands after, because the powder is copper.
Sold under the wrong name
Malachite is a copper carbonate. Much of what is sold under the name is reconstituted, meaning crushed malachite powder set in resin, or a polymer imitation with no malachite in it. Both are common, and neither is the solid stone.
Treatment
Malachite is often stabilised with wax or resin, because it is soft and porous. That is standard trade practice and it does not make your stone fake. Reconstituted malachite is a different thing. It is crushed malachite powder set in resin, it is sold widely, and it gives itself away with banding that is too regular and a slightly plastic feel. Plain polymer imitations exist too, with no malachite in them at all.
Confused with
Dyed howlite, green glass, polymer fakes, chrysocolla, azurite malachite
Handling
Malachite is a COPPER carbonate. Copper salts are poisonous if swallowed, and this stone is soft, reacts with water and powders easily. NEVER make an elixir with it. Never soak it. Never put it in a water bottle. Never grind or sand it dry. Raw and freshly cut pieces shed green copper dust, so wash your hands after handling. A polished, sealed stone is safe to hold.
carbonate · Cu2CO3(OH)2 · Mohs 3.5-4
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A photo cannot feel weight or hardness. I tell you what the picture points to, then give you the test so you can be sure yourself.
Still not sure?
Scan your malachite. It will tell you what it is in seconds, even when the answer is fake.
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Common questions
How can you tell if malachite is real?
Scratch it somewhere hidden. Malachite is soft, 3.5 to 4 on the Mohs hardness scale, and it leaves a bright green streak. Plastic and glass fakes leave no green streak, and they often show mould seams or trapped bubbles. A drop of vinegar fizzes on malachite because it is a carbonate. That fizz etches the stone, so use it only on an edge that is already damaged. Wash your hands after, because the powder is copper. A photo can only get you close. Treat a match as a strong hint, then run the test in your hands to be sure.
Is malachite sold under the wrong name?
Malachite is a copper carbonate. Much of what is sold under the name is reconstituted, meaning crushed malachite powder set in resin, or a polymer imitation with no malachite in it. Both are common, and neither is the solid stone.
Is malachite treated, dyed or heated?
Malachite is often stabilised with wax or resin, because it is soft and porous. That is standard trade practice and it does not make your stone fake. Reconstituted malachite is a different thing. It is crushed malachite powder set in resin, it is sold widely, and it gives itself away with banding that is too regular and a slightly plastic feel. Plain polymer imitations exist too, with no malachite in them at all.
What is malachite confused with?
Dyed howlite, green glass, polymer fakes, chrysocolla, azurite malachite.
What is malachite made of?
Its formula is Cu2CO3(OH)2, and it sits at 3.5-4 for hardness, where a steel knife is about 5.5. Scratching it against something you know is the cheapest way to catch a swap.
Is malachite safe to handle or put in water?
Keep it out of water. Do not soak it. Malachite is a COPPER carbonate. Copper salts are poisonous if swallowed, and this stone is soft, reacts with water and powders easily. NEVER make an elixir with it. Never soak it. Never put it in a water bottle. Never grind or sand it dry. Raw and freshly cut pieces shed green copper dust, so wash your hands after handling. A polished, sealed stone is safe to hold.
Still not sure?
Scan your stone. It will tell you what it is in seconds, even when the answer is fake.
Scan it, freeNo account · No card
Check the rest of your shelf
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