Probably every person who read Pavel Bazhov's tales about the mistress of the Copper Mountain, who owned all the Ural treasures hidden underground, knows about malachite. The whole history of this gem is made up of mystical events. In ancient times, people believed that malachite conducts the forces of the universe to Earth. A large number of beliefs and legends are associated with this stone, for example, that it can make a person invisible. It was believed that Ural malachite could grant wishes!
Name "malachite": origin
The roots of the word "malachite" go back to the Greek language. There are two interpretations of this noun. According to one, the Greeks called the stone so because of its rich color - Μολόχα - "green flower". Another version says that the name comes from the word Μαλακός - "soft".
And indeed, malachitecharacterized by its fragility, it is unstable to external influences. Jewelers claim that real Ural malachite loses color and tarnishes, even if dust just sits on it! At the same time, it is noted that the softness of this mineral can also turn into its advantage. After all, malachite lends itself well to polishing and grinding.
Colors characteristic of malachite
The mineral has a pleasant green color. In nature, you can find three main shades: yellow-green, rich green and almost colorless. However, there are unique specimens, the color of which varies from turquoise to emerald.
History of the Stone
The oldest malachite jewelry was found in Iraq 10.5 thousand years ago. And in Israel, beads made of malachite were found, whose age is nine thousand years. In ancient Rome, malachite was used to create charms and amulets. This mineral was extremely popular in China and India. In addition, it was used to make paints that did not lose their brightness for a long time. Proof of this are the tombs of the pharaohs. And beauties from Ancient Egypt made eyeshadows from malachite powder.
Ural malachite: history of fishing in Russia
Until the 18th century, malachite was found only in the form of small nuggets. This mineral became popular only after the development of the Ural deposits began in Russia. It was Russian miners who were able to find blocks of the mineral that weighed several hundred tons. But the heaviest block had a weight of 250 tons. Discovered in 1835.
The first malachite deposit was discovered in the forties of the XVIII century. It is called Gumeshevskoye and is located at the head of the Chusovaya River. Thanks to the discovery of that mine, the production of small jewelry began in Russia. Rings and beads, earrings and pendants - the Ural malachite stone was usually used together with other stones, most often precious ones.
The flourishing of the fishery began after the discovery of the Mednorudnyanskoye deposit. It was then that a unique style of making products from this stone appeared, which was called Russian mosaic. Skillful stone cutters sawed the stones into the thinnest plates, selected patterns and glued them onto the base. Then the grinding process began. Russian craftsmen created such Ural products from malachite that not a single observer could even doubt the solidity of the products.
The reserves of Ural malachite were so rich that some craftsmen could afford careless handling of this mineral. There are cases when malachite chips, with which the masters refused to work, fell asleep in the pits in the pavements. Today, such extravagance seems like real madness, because even the smallest samples are a real miracle.
1726 was marked by the fact that the first workshop for processing malachite appeared in the Urals. And in 1765, by decree of Catherine the Great, the first Ural malachite factory was opened - the Yekaterinburg Lapidary Factory. At the same time, it was a complex for the extraction and processing of this stone, a centerstone-cutting and educational institution for several generations of craftsmen.
Mineral Popularity
This stone has become an adornment of the homes of Russian and European nobility. It was even used for lining rooms, such as the Malachite Living Room of the Winter Palace. The artistic value of this masterpiece of Russian architecture is difficult to overestimate. The drawing is chosen so skillfully that the joints between the plates are completely impossible to see. The columns of St. Isaac's Cathedral were also lined with malachite. In the chambers of we althy people, one could find such items as a vase made of Ural malachite, watches, snuff boxes, caskets, and even fireplaces and countertops made of this mineral.
By the way, at that time it was very fashionable to collect interesting samples of various minerals, including malachite. Know even competed with each other. The title of the owner of the best collection was rightfully received by Empress Catherine II.
Types of malachite
There are two types of Ural malachite - plush and turquoise. Plush malachite is brittle, and therefore more difficult to process. It is not used to create jewelry. Most often, this species is of interest to mineral scientists. Amateurs and connoisseurs collect samples of this mineral. The most common type of malachite is turquoise. Its structure is unique: a bizarre pattern is created by asymmetric stripes and circles. Unique green patterns are appreciated by collectors and jewelers alike.
The end of the malachite era
At the end of the 19th century, this delightful mineralbecame available not only to very we althy people, but also to the nobles. Competitions for the number of malachite items in homes have ceased, the mineral has become less often used in interiors. Malachite was used to make paint, which covered the roofs of houses.
The revolution of 1917 led to the fact that the extraction of stone has declined significantly. This was due to the fact that the two main deposits - Mednorudnyanskoye and Gumeshevskoye - were severely depleted. At the end of the 19th century, the Gumeshev mine was seriously flooded. That is why now this place is visited exclusively by extreme people. The Mednorudnyanskoye deposit is still functioning, only copper ore is mined here, not malachite. Today, Ural malachite is practically not found here, and therefore is valued more and more.
Malachite business today
Ural is far from the only place in the world where malachite deposits have been discovered. Developments are also underway in the territory of Altai. By the way, sometimes there are samples of Altai malachite, which, in terms of beauty and quirkiness of the rings, practically do not differ from samples of the Ural mineral. The modern leader in the supply of malachite is the Republic of the Congo. The malachite mined here differs from the Ural one in a pattern consisting of even stripes. The mineral is mined in the UK, Chile, Australia, France and Cuba. However, the stones mined in these mines are significantly inferior in their external qualities to the Ural malachite.
Does malachite from the Urals have a future?
Specialists have established that all the world's malachite reserves can beattributed to one type, and the appearance of the mineral is associated with the zonal oxidation of copper ores. That is, the probability that new deposits of malachite can be found in the Urals is extremely high.
For several years, Grigory Nikolaevich Vertushkov, a professor at Sverdlovsk University, has been collecting information that is at least somehow connected with copper and malachite deposits. He is sure that the researchers were mistaken and that in fact the reserves of the Ural mines are not depleted. Grigory Nikolaevich claims that deep reserves of this unique mineral are not touched at two deposits.
The most famous malachite products
The Malachite Hall mentioned above is just a storehouse of products made from this mineral. Here you can see vases and tables, bowls and columns. It took about two hundred poods (by the way, 1 pood is 16.38 kg). Almost all products here are made in the style of "Russian mosaic". 1,500 poods of malachite were needed to cover the columns of the largest Orthodox church in St. Petersburg - St. Isaac's Cathedral.
In the Pitti Palace, located in Florence, there is a malachite table, preserved from the heyday of the malachite industry in Russia. For the London Exhibition in 1851, an incredible collection of objects was made: doors, tables and chairs, grandfather clocks, vases and a fireplace.
Who should wear malachite products
Who is Ural malachite suitable for? Astrologers advise wearing jewelry from this stone to representatives of suchzodiac signs like Capricorn, Libra, Scorpio and Taurus. Malachite is also suitable for people of creative professions. This stone will benefit writers, artists, artists. Malachite will help women maintain youth and attractiveness for a long time.
How to distinguish real malachite from a fake?
Ural malachite, the photo of which you have already seen, is very popular, and therefore its synthetic analogue has appeared on the market. To create a fake, plastic and glass are used.
How to distinguish a natural stone from a fake?
- Real malachite feels cool to the touch. Imitation plastic - warm.
- Glass stone is distinguished by the presence of transparent inclusions on the surface.
- Imitations, which are made on the basis of other stones with the addition of painting and varnish, can be distinguished from natural stone by dropping ammonia on them: real malachite will turn blue, and the fake will not change.
- You can also distinguish genuine Ural malachite from a fake with the help of vinegar or lemon juice. True, the surface of a natural stone after such a check will begin to bubble strongly.
Magic and healing properties of Ural malachite
The green mineral was endowed with magical properties back in the Middle Ages. Small pieces of malachite were hung over the crib, believing that they would drive away evil spirits and the baby would sleep peacefully. To protect an adult, malachite was engraved - usually in the form of the sun.
It was believed that malachite is a good helper in love rituals. He was often mentioned in divination and magic books as a means to attract love and keep it. Traditional healers used malachite to treat allergies and skin diseases, asthma and migraines.
