'A' Grade Solid Banded Congo Malachite Polished Egg




Locality: Democratic Republic of Congo
Size: 57x 46mm
Weight: 232g

This malachite egg features excellent lacy ribbon and flower patterns in a rich, dark green colour. It has been polished, shaped and smoothed to a high standard and displays beautifully. Whilst most malachite specimens and eggs seen on the market are heavily reconstituted and comprised mostly of smaller pieces, this egg is almost entirely solid with no conglomerate pieces added, only minor natural vugs have been filled for completion purposes. High quality solid malachite such as this is becoming scarce and is highly sought after. 

A wooden stand as pictured will be provided with this egg.

Gemstone eggs are unique and beautiful treasures that make a perfect addition to any crystal collection. As well as their aesthetics, they have a deeper meaning, symbolising fertility, birth and new beginnings, making them ideal for therapy or as decorations for Ostara and Easter displays. Their smooth, ergonomic shape also makes them ideal for holding during meditation.


About Malachite

Malachite is a secondary copper carbonate hydroxide mineral typically found as crystalline aggregates or crusts, stalactites or botryoidal coatings on the surfaces of underground cavities. It forms at shallow depths within the Earth, in the oxidizing zone above copper deposits, when water containing CO2 or dissolved carbonate minerals seeps through copper ores (or vica versa). It is often found in association to azurite, chrysocolla, bornite, calcite, chalcopyrite, copper, cuprite, and a variety of iron oxides. In particular, it frequently pseudomorphs (chemically replaces) its closest associate: azurite. In appearance, it is opaque and usually a deep, saturated green in colour, ranging from bright, pastel green to yellow-tinted green to a dark green that is almost black. When cut or polished, it displays banding of light and dark layers with concentric rings like agates, stripes, dendritic 'leafy' patterns and other figurative shapes. When the bands form concentric rings it is called "bull's eye" malachite; specimens with this pattern are highly sought after. Malachite is arguably the finest green mineral on the Earth and is both instantly recognizable and wildly popular.

Malachite in History

Malachite is widely believed to be named after the Greek word 'malache' for 'mallow' because of its resemblance to the leaves of the mallow plant. Another theory is that the name could have originated in the Greek word, 'malakos', which means "soft", due to the fact that malachite is soft compared with other minerals (with a hardness of 3.5 - 4). Historically, it was popular in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome where it was used for jewellery, amulets, sculptures, as a powder for eye shadow and a colouring pigment. Such pigment has been found in the paintings of Egyptian tombs and in paintings produced throughout Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries and is one of the oldest known green pigments ever to be used in paintings. Archaeological evidence indicates that the mineral has been mined and smelted to obtain copper at Timna Valley in Israel for over 3000 years, and in Egypt for the same purpose as early as 4000BC. It has been believed throughout history to be a protection against the evil eye and was often given to children to wear to protect them from having nightmares.

Malachite Care

Since malachite is a relatively soft mineral, it can be easily scratched and should be handled with care. It also does not take kindly to heat, so keep it well away from ovens and other hot objects. If in need of cleaning, use cool water and dry with a soft cloth. Care for your crystals well, and these natural treasures can last a lifetime (and more)!

A Note on Fakes, Treatments & Misrepresentations

Unfortunately, much synthetic malachite is produced today and used to make jewellery and small sculptures, often posed as the real stone or given trade names such as 'blue malachite', 'emerald malachite', 'siliceous malachite' and 'copper malachite'. It is typically made from reconstituted waste malachite 'dust', plastic, clay or glass. However, these fakes can be easily recognized by their unrealistic colours (often blue) and exaggerated, uniform stripes; simulated malachite does not have concentric rings. In person, it is lightweight and warm to the touch, or warms rapidly in the hand, whereas real malachite is heavy and cold.










Our Goal

We at Deep Earth Treasures believe that genuine, natural crystals and minerals are the most precious possessions to own. Crystals are natures own art, beautiful and entirely unique from piece-to-piece, and their aesthetics are unrivalled by man-made materials. We believe strictly in providing natural products with honesty, and that means no imitations, unnecessary treatments or false information! Our goods are specially selected for their quality; we look for top specimens for discerning customers and sift through batches to find you the very best. Aesthetics, rarity, uniqueness and condition are all important factors considered when choosing stock. Whether you are a collector, a healer, an interior decorator or someone who simply loves crystals, we want to put that special piece in your home that you can admire for many years to come.

The Deep Earth Treasures Guarantee

Deep Earth Treasures is dedicated to providing genuinely natural, top quality products and excellent service. Therefore, we have laid out this set of guarantees to abide by to represent these values. We guarantee our products to be entirely natural; we do not sell heat-treated, dyed, reconstituted, misrepresented, lab-grown or artificial items. In rare cases, some items require minor treatment for purely protective reasons, such as stabilizing weak turquoise, in which case this will be explicitly stated. We guarantee to provide details about each unique item to the best of our ability, specifying approximate size and weight, locality, and a bit of interesting mineralogical information. The item you see in the listing is the exact item you will receive, we always photograph each specimen separately in natural light (when the weather allows) and never use stock photos or manipulate pictures in Photoshop. We guarantee all our products to be treated with utmost care from the moment we receive them to the moment we send them. All goods are wrapped, padded and packaged with great care to ensure they reach you in pristine condition. All our goods come from a smoke-free house.

If you have any questions about our products or service, please contact us and we will try our best to answer them ASAP.


Shipping and Returns Policy

Items bought before 12pm will be dispatched the next working day. Items bought on weekends will be dispatched Monday.

We offer free shipping on this item.

Delivery to the UK will take 2-3 working days.
Delivery to Europe will take 3-5 working days.

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If for any reason you are unhappy with your purchase, please contact us and we will try our best to resolve any issues. Returns are accepted within 14 days of receiving the order provided they are returned in their original, undamaged condition. The buyer is responsible for return postage costs.