Azurmalachite Raw Specimen from Namibia 3.6" x 3" #72

Azurmalachite is a blue and green gem material composed of two copper carbonate minerals, azurite (Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2) and malachite (Cu2(CO3)(OH)2). The name "azurmalachite" was derived by combining the names of the minerals. The material is also known as "bluebird."

Azurmalachite can be a very attractive material that displays bands, concentric patterns, and irregular mottling in vivid greens and blues. It has one of the most striking color patterns in the entire gemstone marketplace.

Azurmalachite is a rock that forms at shallow depths in the oxidizing zone above copper deposits. Slightly acidic, copper-bearing waters percolate downwards through fractures and pore spaces in the rock. During their descent they encounter a geochemical environment that allows the precipitation of carbonate minerals, and that is where the azurmalachite forms.

The host rock is often a carbonate rock, such as limestone or marble. These neutralize the slightly acidic waters and facilitate precipitation of t