Main index --- Minerals list Azurite and malachite

Copper compounds

Many minerals have beautiful colours, but for the greatest range of colours of opaque stones, you can't beat the copper compounds. Copper has always been a very important metal, and the compounds have been used for decoration, and to make pigments for paints, and cosmetics.

The specimen on the right is azurite (blue) and malachite (green). You often find both these minerals on one specimen.


Copper
Copper
Malachite
Malachite
Chalcopyrite
Chalcopyrite
Turquoise
Turquoise
Peacock Ore
Peacock Ore
Azurite
Azurite
Dioptase
Dioptase