Malachite 4mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch R1626 The fibrous asbestos inclusions in

The fibrous asbestos inclusions in the stone give it the flash that inspired its name

It's actually a pink variety of Beryl -- the family of gemstones that also includes Aquamarine

known for its incredible hardness

and features dark manganese dendrites throughout

Malachite 4mm Round Faceted - 15-16 Inch R1626 The fibrous asbestos inclusions inMalachite is a copper carbonate with a bright green color and dark green banding. Usually found near copper deposits, it is formed through the combination of carbonated water, limestone and copper. Famous malachite mines in the Ural mountains of Russia once produced 20 to ton blocks of the stone, while today it is primarily mined in Africa. Malachite was used extensively as decoration in the palaces of Russian tsars and forms the columns of St. Isaacs