Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56247090" class="extiw" title="d:Q56247090"><span title="mineral collector and dealer">Robert M. Lavinsky</span></a></bdi> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
cubiccommonCarbonates
Azurite-Malachite
Cu₃(CO₃)₂(OH)₂ (Azurite) and Cu₂(CO₃)(OH)₂ (Malachite)
A striking specimen featuring deep azure blue azurite crystals intergrown with vibrant green, often fibrous or botryoidal, malachite.
Azurite-Malachite Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
3.5Crystal System
cubicLuster
vitreousStreak Color
Light blue (azurite) to light green (malachite)Cleavage
Good in one direction (azurite), perfect in one direction (malachite)Fracture
Conchoidal (azurite) to uneven or subconchoidal (malachite)Specific Gravity
3.77Colors
blue, greenTransparency
Transparent to opaqueType Locality
Morenci Mine, Morenci, Copper Mountain District, Shannon Mts, Greenlee County, Arizona, USAMineral Group
CarbonatesUses
ornamental stone, jewelry, pigment, minor copper ore, collector's itemAssociated Minerals
cuprite, chrysocolla, native copper, chalcopyriteRarity
commonGeological Context
These secondary copper carbonate minerals form in the oxidized zones of copper ore deposits, resulting from the alteration of primary copper sulfides by carbonic acid-rich waters.
