Judging quality
Look for sharp crystal faces and electric blue depth. Azurite in matrix with malachite is more stable and more interesting than loose crumbly material.
Carbonate
Azurite
Intense blue copper carbonate, frequently intergrown with green malachite into which it slowly alters over geological time.
Care
Soft, light-sensitive and acid-sensitive. Display away from direct sun; never wash.
History & lore
Azurite was the standard blue pigment of medieval European painting before ultramarine, and many old paintings have greened as it converted to malachite.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Azurite
- What is Azurite?
- Intense blue copper carbonate, frequently intergrown with green malachite into which it slowly alters over geological time.
- How hard is Azurite and what is it made of?
- Azurite is a Carbonate-family mineral with the composition Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system and rates 3.5-4 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in deep blue.
- Where does Azurite come from?
- Notable localities for Azurite include Morocco, Namibia, USA (Arizona), China.
- How do you tell good Azurite from filler?
- Look for sharp crystal faces and electric blue depth. Azurite in matrix with malachite is more stable and more interesting than loose crumbly material.
- How do you care for Azurite?
- Soft, light-sensitive and acid-sensitive. Display away from direct sun; never wash.
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.