Copper minerals
Malachite
Malachite is a copper mineral in light and dark green bands, cut as cabochons, beads and inlays.
Malachite
At a glance
- Mineral
- Copper carbonate, banded green
- Refractive index
- 1.85
- Dispersion (C–F)
- —
- Specific gravity
- 3.90
- Mohs hardness
- 3.5–4
- Wear
- Soft and sensitive to acids and heat: pendants, earrings and bezel settings; not rings worn daily.
Malachite in Jart
The look in the studio's material library, with the values the renderer uses.
| Stone | Colour | RI | Dispersion C–F | Abbe | SG | Colour depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malachite | #1f8a5a | 1.85 | — | — | 3.90 | opaque |
RI refractive index (nd). Dispersion C–F nF − nC, the spread between blue and red light; many gem tables quote the B–G figure instead (diamond 0.044, here 0.025). Abbe number: lower means more fire. SG specific gravity, used for carat estimates in Design Facts. Colour depth the path through the stone after which white light takes the stone's full colour; shorter paths look paler.
How it renders
With a refractive index of 1.85, a polished malachite facet reflects 8.9% of light that meets it face-on (diamond: 17.2%). Light inside the stone that meets a facet more than 32.7° from straight on cannot leave and is reflected back in; the smaller that angle, the more light a good cut returns to the eye (diamond 24.4°, quartz 40.4°).
It is opaque: light reflects from its surface and does not travel through it, so it shows no fire, and its look comes from its colour, its polish and what the lighting reflects.
Its refractive index is high for an opaque stone, so its polished surface reflects noticeably more light than agate or jasper.
Related stones
All gemstones · Metals · Stone and metal pairings · Finishes
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