526 SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTION OF PRECIOUS STONES 



reached a weight of 10 poods (360 pounds), but the majority were smaller than this. The 

 largest single mass of malachite found in these mines is preserved in the collection of the 

 Institute of Mines in St. Petersburg. It is a smooth reniform mass having a height of 

 S feet 6 inches, almost the same breadth, and a weight of about 90 poods (3240 pounds) ; it 

 is valued at 525,000 roubles. 



At Nizhni-Tagilsk, in the northern Ui-als, a little south of latitude 58° N. and in 

 longitude about 57^° E. of Paris, copper ores of a similar nature occur in the same manner 

 as at Gumeshevsk, but fibrous malachite in reniform masses suitable for cutting is much 

 rarer and less fine than at the latter place. In the year 1835 there was found here, 

 however, a mass of malachite of such a size as had never been seen before nor has been since, 

 and which far. exceeded the large mass from Gumeshevsk, mentioned above. It was 17^ feet 

 long, 8 feet broad, and 3 J feet high ; it was quite solid in the interior, and was estimated to 

 weigh not less than 25 to 30 tons. The whole mass was of a fine emerald-green colour and 

 was thus quite suitable for cutting. The Medno-Rudiansk mine, which alone yields any 

 considerable amount of fine malachite, is situated in the Nizhni-Tagilsk district ; the other 

 mines, as stated above, are now exhausted. 



This is true also of the mines of Bogoslovsk, situated further to the north, in latitude 

 about 59|° N. and longitude 57f ° E. of Paris, on the upper Turya river. From the fact 

 that they stand on this river, fifteen to eighteen versts further to the east, these workings 

 are also known as the Turyinsk mines. Here also malachite occurs in reniform masses, 

 which, howevei-, are poorer in quality than those found at Gumeshevsk, and never of 

 specially large size. 



The locality for malachite suitable for decorative purposes next in importance to the 

 Urals is Australia. The mineral occurs in this continent most frequently in small masses, 

 valuable only for the copper they contain. The larger masses of malachite of superior 

 quality, which are occasionally met with, are in no way inferior to Uralian material, and 

 resemble this in every particular. The mineral is specially abundant in Queensland, and 

 magnificent specimens have been obtained from the Peak Downs copper mine in that State. 

 Fine malachite occurs also in New South Wales, and at Wallaroo and Burra-Burra in South 

 Australia. 



Malachite is worn more frequently set in brooches and ear-rings than as a ring or pin 

 stone. It is usually cut with a plane or slightly convex surface and no facets, these in an 

 opaque stone being quite ineffective. Table-stones and step-cuts, however, are sometimes 

 seen, while the stones to be used as ear-rings are given a club-shaped form. 



This mineral is far more extensively used as a material for letter-weights, inkstands, 

 candlesticks, ornamental bowls and vases, and even for objects of considerable size, such as 

 mantel-pieces and table-tops. These larger objects, however, are usually made of copper or 

 some other material and only veneered with thin plates of malachite. The art of veneering 

 lies principally in so piecing these plates together that the joins shall be as inconspicuous as 

 possible, this end being attained by a skilful utilisation of the grained structure of the 

 mineral. The industry flourishes most in Russia, where it is common to meet with large 

 and beautiful objects made of malachite ; and those displayed in the palaces of European 

 princes have been in many cases presented by the Czar of Russia. The Isaac Church of 

 St. Petersburg is famous for the beauty of its massive columns of malachite. A number of 

 columns of the same material were found in the temple of Diana at Ephesus, and now adorn 

 the Sophia. Church at Constantinople. 



The uses to which malachite is applied are thus very similar to those of lapis-lazuli, 

 but malachite in large masses is less rare, and has not more than a tenth of the value of 



