What Is Azurite Stone?

Azurite is a soft, deep-blue copper mineral produced by weathering of copper ore deposits. During the early 19th century, it was also known as chessylite, after the type locality at Chessy-les-Mines near Lyon, France.

Why is azurite valuable?

In raw form, azurite tends to form monoclinic crystals. They can be quite striking to behold, which is why many collectors prize azurite in its natural state. ... Azurite is highly susceptible to heat, and may even be destroyed by it, yet another reason it is relatively rare.

Is azurite and malachite same?

Malachite and azurite are two copper carbonates that are minor ore minerals. Azurite, as its name might suggest, is the blue one, which obviously leaves malachite as the green one. ... But in azurite, that square is more distorted that it is in malachite, and so the oxygen atoms approach the d orbitals of Cu differently.