Irresistable Orbs Direct From The Congo

Of all the semi-precious stones, malachite is second only to lapis lazuli in my affections (check out yesterday's blip). The colour is pretty good, but it's really the intricate patterning in the polished stone that makes it so special. The piece in the photo is perhaps not the most beautiful, but it has plenty of character.

It seems that not everyone likes malachite. Someone thought it would be appropriate to assign it as the stone for 13th anniversaries, but that indignity was not enough and it has to share the year with moonstone and citrine, neither of which could hold a candle to malachite.