Azurite

Azurite is one of the two basic copper carbonate minerals, the other being bright green malachite. Azurite slowly absorbs water and is unstable in open air and eventually pseudomorphs into malachite. Collectors often find Azurite and malachite together as a deep-blue stone with interwoven flashes of green.

The intense color of Azurite makes it a popular collector's stone. However, bright light, heat, and open air all tend to reduce the intensity of its color over time. To help preserve the deep blue color of a pristine Azurite specimen, collectors should store their specimen in a cool, dark space such as an airtight container in an environment similar to that of its original natural setting. Its fragile nature has not reduced its collectible popularity. It is so in demand because of its unparalleled color, a deep blue called "azure"…wonder how it got the name Azurite? Azure is derived from the Arabic word for blue. The color is due to the presence of copper which is a strong coloring agent. A very rare form of Azurite is called "Bluebird"; it has dark red Cuprite mixed with Azurite.

Azurite forms beautiful crystals and may be found at Cressy, France; at Cornwall, England; at Phoenixville, Pennsylvania; at Mineral Point, Wisconsin; at the Copper Queen Mine, Bisbee, Arizona; at the Mammoth Mine, Tintic district, Utah and at Hughes Mine, in California, and is also found in many other copper mines in Australia, Chile, France, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, and Zaire.