Malachite

One thing for certain can be said for this bold green mineral: It’s no shrinking violet. In large deposits, it can be made up of such vibrant concentric patterns and pops of green that it seems like it was made to be seen and admired. Usually found alongside its quieter, shyer sibling, azurite, malachite is the hardier and more stable of the two, and it never fades in the sun. No wonder humans have been putting this eye-catcher on display for millennia! It’s been used as pigment for many of our most famous paintings and even forms the walls and pillars of certain spectacular palaces. And, as if that weren’t impressive enough, malachite is speculated to have been the very first rock used as an ore for extracting copper, which is a metal that is itself known for being especially eye-catching. No matter how you look at it, malachite was made for the spotlight. And if it’s popping up for you now, it’s very likely telling you that you were, too!