Throughout history, malachite has been used to make several decorative items, including centerpiece decorations and jewelry, so naturally, we all feel pretty comfortable around it, but is our blasé attitude surrounding this popular mineral wise?
Many people keep crystals on their person or around the home for their alleged protective and healing properties, so the idea of one so beautiful and beloved as malachite being toxic is jarring to say the least.
But we’d be foolhardy to grant malachite a pass based on appearances alone —let’s put this pretty mineral under the microscope and examine if there is anything hazardous lurking in its crystalline composition!
Is Malachite A Dangerous Crystal?
In the state it arrives when purchased from a store, decorative malachite is not an overtly hazardous crystal.
Under normal circumstances, it’s perfectly safe to handle, wear, and have lying about the house — phew!
However, it’s a little more complicated than that.
Just because store-bought malachite isn’t an immediate threat does not mean that it doesn’t have the potential to be incredibly dangerous.
Hidden in the sinuous, forest-green veins of this beautiful gemstone are toxic elements that could potentially make humans very ill, and can even be fatal in severe cases of exposure.
Why Malachite Is Toxic?
Malachite is effectively a type of copper carbonate hydroxide rock, meaning that it is formed when supergene weathering begins to oxidize primary sulfide rocks that contain copper ores — in its purest form, malachite’s mineral makeup is nearly 60% copper.
Now, the general presence of copper isn’t really a bad thing in itself, as the human body actually needs a certain amount to form red blood cells and fortify the immune system, but when malachite comes into contact with an acid… things go south very quickly!
The copper carbonate mineral is quite reactive, at least compared to more common minerals that are found underground, such as iron.
When combined with an acid, the copper oxide in malachite reacts, releasing a lovely cocktail of toxic fumes that can kill when inhaled.
This is one of the reasons why stone shapers, polishers, and jewelers usually have to wear protective respiratory and ocular gear whilst they work on malachite.
It’s also common practice to wet malachite before working on it, in order to stop copper from mushrooming into the air as particles and being inhaled accidentally.
If Malachite Is So Toxic, Should I Throw Mine Out?
It’s certainly a wake-up call when you realize the heinous potential of this seemingly benign gemstone, but now that you’re aware of the risks, you’re safer around malachite than you’ve ever been, so there’s no real need to part ways with your pretty stone.
Here’s why you shouldn’t give the green stone the boot…
Polished To (Safe) Perfection
Firstly, when you buy malachite from the store, it will be coated in a protective layer of polishing compound or wax; the same is true if you polish your malachite.
This not only keeps the risky aspects of malachite firmly on lockdown, it also increases the hardness of the stone, reducing the chances of breakage and particles escaping into the air.
As long as this layer remains intact, the actual rock will never even come into contact with you or anything else for that matter.
And even if it did, your only concerns would be the stone shattering and someone breathing the particulate matter in (highly unlikely), or the stone coming into contact with an acidic substance (also very unlikely).
If you’re worried about the potential hazards of malachite, top up this waxy layer from time to time and the risk of having it around runs down to near zero.
Is Malachite Reactive In Water?
The only liquid that is likely to come into contact with your malachite on a day-to-day basis is good old H2O, which doesn’t affect the copper content of malachite in the slightest, whether there’s a coat of polish between them or not.
This is why it’s perfectly safe for artisans to saturate malachite before working on it.
So, if your malachite gets a little grubby, you can spruce it up with a quick water bath and have it looking good as new in no time — no toxic chemicals about!
To be safe though, never keep malachite anywhere near your drinking water.
The risk of contamination is basically nonexistent, but there’s really no need to tempt fate.
Furthermore, if you need to use soap during the cleaning process, make sure it’s nice and gentle, with no acidic elements.
Is Malachite Reactive To Heat?
Because malachite is calcium carbonate, with enough heat, it can potentially be broken down into copper.
So, yep, malachite is technically reactive to heat, as almost everything on the planet is, but when I say heat, I mean heat!
It will only start breaking down and releasing harmful chemicals when it reaches temperatures of around 300 degrees C (572 °F), and decomposition will only start in earnest in temperatures of at least 400 degrees C (752 °F).
To put that in perspective, for your malachite to break down due to heat, the ambient temperature would need to be the same as the surface of Mercury, the closest planet to the sun.
So, yeah… 400 degrees is HOT, and unless you plan on throwing your malachite in the oven, you have nothing to worry about on this front either.
Is Malachite Toxic To Touch?
If it’s in its broken down state, then and only then is malachite considered contact toxic.
In the form that you or I will interact with, it’s perfectly safe to handle.
For example, all malachite jewelry will be primed for safe use by humans, but if it becomes damaged, it’s best to stop wearing it until it’s been fixed by a professional.
Closing Thoughts
Malachite is a beautiful gemstone that is safe in most situations. However, it should be given the proper care that a relatively toxic item deserves.
That’s not to say that you should banish it from your collection, nor that you shouldn’t wear that malachite jewelry you love, as although it is technically a toxic gemstone, realistically, the risk is extremely low.