Azurite and Malachite Pieces from Utah June 22 2019

I love going to the rock shows. I am looking forward to finding out what the rockhound events are locally with this move to Oklahoma.I love those huge events too people travel to from out of state and out of the country.I cannot wait for The Tucson Gem in Mineral Showcase in the winter and The Denver Gem and Mineral Showcase in the fall.There is so much to look at when wandering around the Showcases.There is always a few new vendors and few new types of crystals in the tents I have been to for years.

While at the Denver Showcase last fall, I was winding down for the day and for the whole showcase for that matter.I had seen 4 football fields worth of stuff that day alone and was just done, hot, and ready to go.Okay… I cannot pass up the new dealer.I ducked into this tent in the parking lot between me and the car. I was excited, I had found dozens of 5-gallon buckets stuffed under 6-foot tables.

I love the buckets.It usually means I can get a good deal and I was really out of money at this point.Then I looked in the buckets and became even more excited.There were millions of azurite and malachite balls and free forms. Each bucket was a different size ball with a different price point.The decisions started.What was too small and what was the best deal?The booth owner was busy with another customer and I was left to my own devices for a few as I decided. This was good as the size was really depending on the amount of money left in my pockets. Ha... Ha... There is no good reason to end a rock buying trip with money still left. Right!!!!

There were ones, I swear, the size of sand.Well, that was way too small.Then there were the marble sizes ones that were more money than I had left at this point in the shopping trip.So yes, these were just right. Love Goldilocks and the three bears. If I did not go through and handpick each pieces I was purchasing I could get a discount, the sign announced.

I was finally decided on my bucket.Now, what was I supposed to put my selection in?Just about that time the booth owner finished up and came over.He provided a Ziplock sandwich bag.We got to talking.He is the miner of everything in the tent.These azurite and malachite pieces that he mines are all mined in Utah.Some of the pieces if cut or crushed will show you the other material on the inside.This means that if you have a piece of azurite in your hand, there may be malachite inside.

He laughed at the little handful that I scooped out to bring back to my people.But this was the last purchase of the trip before coming home.There was only so much money left in my pocket.I spent every cent of it on this little bag.But that means that three little balls can be bought for a dollar.They are smaller than a pencil eraser which makes them great for a little bag or on top of your altar.

Azurite and Malachite are wonderful healing stones.Each stone is good for dozens of things, but I like to point out just a few of those for you.

Here is the write up about them:

Chakra: All Chakras

Healing Energies: Azurite brings your consciousness to a higher level and protects your body while you are performing your meditative journey. Using these crystals together can increase your third eye abilities and strengthen your connection to the Higher Power. Malachite is often called the stone of transformation. Let it work with your emotional body to work through past issues in a very thorough way. Malachite works wonders at helping to ward off negative people and keep you protected. This is a heart stone holding masculine energy instead of the more common feminine energies. It allows you to look at those heart chakra issues from another perspective. Combining them together such as many of the stones in this batch have grown, produces the possibility of a crystal that unlocks seeing with the third eye to a much higher degree than the crystals formed by themselves.

Facts and Lore: The chemical formula for azurite is Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2. The name Azurite is derived from ancient Persian meaning blue. Azurite has been used as a pigment in painting. This mineral has 45 different common growth patterns with over 100 patterns identified!

The formula for malachite is Cu2CO3(OH)2. Malachite is in the carbonates family with azurite. This mineral is often seen as banded and having ocular formations like agates and jaspers. It is shades of green from light to nearly black. The name malachite comes from Greek meaning mallow green in reference to the green color of leaves on the mallow plant. Malachite is most often from Africa. It seems that malachite has been mines and smelted in Israel for over 3000 years. Ancient Egypt referred to a place in the afterlife that was a field of paradise as the "Field of Malachite". It was felt to be a resurrection, new life and fertility to the ancient Egyptians. This mineral was used for centuries to make green pigments such as paint.