Real vs fake: Malachite
Natural malachite shows organic concentric banding and cools the touch. Plastic or dyed resin copies look flat, warm, and overly uniform.
- Concentric eye-like banding with irregular thickness
- Cool, dense feel relative to size
- Subtle color shifts from dark to bright green
- Natural pits and surface texture under magnification
- Perfectly repeating printed or poured swirls
- Lightweight plastic feel that warms quickly
- Overly bright neon green with no depth
- Mold lines, bubbles, or resin smell
Field tests
- Compare weight against a known sample of similar size
- Check banding under 10× loupe for natural irregularity
- Acetone on a cotton swab should not lift green dye on genuine pieces