Home » categories » rare book library » Dieulafait. Diamonds and Precious Stones.
This chapter is tagged (labeled) with: 

Ch. 5: Malachite

Ch. 5: Lapis-Lazuli Page of 296 Ch. 5: Malachite Text size:minus plus Restore normal size   Mail page  Print this page
184
PRECIOUS STONES.
MALACHITE.
Malachite, or "vert de montagne," is a hydrated carbonate of copper, or rather " a stalagmitic form of the green carbonate of copper " found in Siberia, Norway, and the Ural Mountains, and lately in South America. It is rarely found in masses weighing more than from ten to twenty pounds, and good specimens have a very high value. Its specific weight is 4.
Malachite takes a fine polish, and its varied shades of green, disposed with a thousand caprices, or in diverse zones, give it a pleasing effect. Beads and pendants of it are occasionally seen in jewelry, but its chief use in art is for ornaments of larger dimensions, such as boxes, paper-weights, statu­ettes, &c.
At St. Petersburg an exceptionally large slab of malachite 34 inches by 18 broad and 2 thick, is valued at $5294.
Under the First Empire an apartment in the Grand Trianon was furnished with beautiful objects all made of malachite, and presented to Napoleon I. by Alexander of Russia.
Attempts have been made to engrave malachite, but owing to its soft texture and multiplicity of zones destroying artistic effect, without successful results.
Ch. 5: Lapis-Lazuli Page of 296 Ch. 5: Malachite
Suggested Illustrations
Other Chapters you may find useful
Other Books on this topic
bullet Tag
This Page