Monday, July 30, 2012

Natural Wonders: Azurite Malachite

Blues are greens are some of my all-time favorite colors. And when you put them together in one stone - Wha-bam! I can't help but fall in love.

I don't love malachite all on it's own, but I sure do love it mixed with azurite. And like most of my favorite stones, they get their rich colors from copper. It's found in the Southwestern United States, France, Chile, Mexico, and parts of Africa.

My first azurite-malachite purchase was earlier this year. A sweet little triangle that I set simply:



It's a deep navy blue with just the faintest touch of malachite showing in the bottom corner. It was sold to me by a U.S. stone cutter living in Arizona.

And I'm not sure if it's me, or if it's more plentiful this year, but suddenly I'm seeing it more than I used to. But what I'm finding at gem shows is gorgeous. See for yourself:


I really like the contrast of the deep, almost lapis-colored blue next to the bright green. And it looks fantastic set in sterling silver!  :)

Here's another:



This one has very little malachite in it; just varying shades of blue. I really fell in love with the shape too.

Another shot:


This might just be the very next stone I design around.  :)

And finally:



Okay...so *this* one might be the next stone I design for. It's just beautiful.

These are all small stones and I didn't buy too many (though I wanted to...) because they are a bit out of the usual price range I try to keep within. The material is lovely and I would have liked to have some bigger pieces, but right now I'm using smaller stones (and less metal) to keep prices reasonable.

But when I sell another one, maybe I'll treat myself to a larger cab.  :)

 

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