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Is your malachite real?
Frequently stabilised with wax or resin because it is soft and porous. Reconstituted malachite — crushed powder in resin — is widely sold and shows unnaturally regular banding and a slightly plastic feel. Polymer imitations exist. Scratch it in a hidden spot: malachite is soft (3.5, 4) and leaves a bright green streak. Plastic and glass fakes give no green streak and often show mould seams or bubbles. A drop of vinegar will fizz on malachite (it is a carbonate), but this etches the stone, so use it only on an already-damaged edge. Frequently stabilised with wax or resin because it is soft and porous. Reconstituted malachite, crushed powder in resin, is widely sold and shows unnaturally regular banding and a slightly plastic feel. Polymer imitations exist. A photograph gets you most of the way; the physical test settles it.
Option one
Upload a photo
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Option two
Tell us what it was sold as
Pick the name on the label and we will give you the physical test for that stone, and the imitation it is most often swapped for.
Your stone
You said Malachite.
Malachite is commonly faked, treated or sold under the wrong name, so the visual match is where the checking starts, not where it ends. Run the test below.
The test that settles it
Scratch it in a hidden spot: malachite is soft (3.5, 4) and leaves a bright green streak. Plastic and glass fakes give no green streak and often show mould seams or bubbles. A drop of vinegar will fizz on malachite (it is a carbonate), but this etches the stone, so use it only on an already-damaged edge.
Sold under the wrong name
Frequently stabilised with wax or resin because it is soft and porous. Reconstituted malachite — crushed powder in resin — is widely sold and shows unnaturally regular banding and a slightly plastic feel. Polymer imitations exist.
Treatment
Frequently stabilised with wax or resin because it is soft and porous. Reconstituted malachite, crushed powder in resin, is widely sold and shows unnaturally regular banding and a slightly plastic feel. Polymer imitations exist.
Confused with
dyed-howlite, green-glass, polymer-fakes, chrysocolla, azurite-malachite
Handling
COPPER carbonate. Copper salts are toxic if ingested, and malachite is soft, water-reactive and easily powdered. NEVER make an elixir, never soak it, never put it in a water bottle, never grind or sand it dry. Raw and freshly cut material sheds green copper dust, wash hands after handling. Polished, sealed stones are safe to hold.
carbonate · Cu2CO3(OH)2 · Mohs 3.5-4
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A photograph cannot measure hardness, streak or specific gravity. We tell you what the visual signs suggest and give you the test to be certain yourself.
Common questions
How can you tell if malachite is real?
Scratch it in a hidden spot: malachite is soft (3.5, 4) and leaves a bright green streak. Plastic and glass fakes give no green streak and often show mould seams or bubbles. A drop of vinegar will fizz on malachite (it is a carbonate), but this etches the stone, so use it only on an already-damaged edge. A photograph cannot measure hardness, streak or specific gravity, so treat a visual match as a strong hint and run the physical test to be certain.
Is malachite sold under the wrong name?
Frequently stabilised with wax or resin because it is soft and porous. Reconstituted malachite — crushed powder in resin — is widely sold and shows unnaturally regular banding and a slightly plastic feel. Polymer imitations exist.
Is malachite treated, dyed or heated?
Frequently stabilised with wax or resin because it is soft and porous. Reconstituted malachite, crushed powder in resin, is widely sold and shows unnaturally regular banding and a slightly plastic feel. Polymer imitations exist.
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 measures 3.5-4 on the Mohs scale. A hardness test against a known material is the cheapest way to rule out a substitute.
Is malachite safe to handle or put in water?
it should not be soaked or put in water; COPPER carbonate. Copper salts are toxic if ingested, and malachite is soft, water-reactive and easily powdered. NEVER make an elixir, never soak it, never put it in a water bottle, never grind or sand it dry. Raw and freshly cut material sheds green copper dust, wash hands after handling. Polished, sealed stones are safe to hold.
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