SYNTHETIC JEWELRY-GRADE AND ORNAMENTAL MALACHITE

Abstract

A brief description is given of the most popular textural varieties of jewelry-grade and ornamental malachite-banded, plush and nodular-produced using the authors method. Banded synthetic malachite visually resembles natural jewelry-grade and ornamental malachite from Zaire. Its banding is due to the alternation of parallel zones with different color hues that change from pale-green to dark-green or almost black. Nodular synthetic malachite exhibits esthetically more satisfying qualities (Fig. 2) and outwardly resembles the famous Ural turquoise malachite. Besides the above textural types of synthetic malachite, their intermediate varieties can be synthesized as well. This work has shown that in its chemical composition, texture and main physical properties, synthetic malachite is almost totally analogous to natural jewelry-grade and ornamental malachite and, consequently, that there are broad opportunities for using it in the jewelry and gemstone-fashioning industry.