Mother-of-Pearl vs. Malachite, What is the Difference?

Mother-of-pearl vs. Malachite, What is the Difference - Art Nacre Inc
Mother-of-pearl vs. Malachite, What is the Difference – Art Nacre Inc

After reading the Mother-of-Pearl vs. Malachite, What is the Difference article, you will know what malachite, mother-of-pearl, Mother-of-Pearl vs. Malachite, and the difference and the connection.

What is Malachite?

Malachite Meaning:

Malachite is a carbonate mineral with Cu2(OH)2CO3 as its main component, dark to bright green in color, silky or vitreous luster, translucent to opaque, and 3.5-4.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness.

Malachite is produced on the surface of copper ore, near-surface oxidation zone, and coexists with hematite, bluecopperite, copper blue, silicon malachite, etc. It is an important mineral for finding markers of primary copper ore, and also a kind of jade.

What is Malachite - Art Nacre Inc
What is Malachite – Art Nacre Inc

Malachite is a blue-green mineral whose color produces a gradient effect in different light. Malachite is dark green to vivid green (peacock green) in color. It is often banded, silky or glassy, translucent to opaque. Brittle, hardness 3.5-4.5, relative density 3.54-4.1.

Malachite is produced in the world in China, Russia, Namibia, Egypt, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad, Australia, the United States, Mexico, Chile, Nicaragua, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Romania and other countries.

What is Mother-of-Pearl?

Meaning of Mother-of-Pearl:

Mother-of-Pearl, also known by the academic name Nacre, is an iridescent substance that forms inside the shells of many mollusks, such as mussels and pearl oysters.

Mother of Pearl acts as a defense mechanism, with mollusks secreting pearls to ward off irritants and abrasions that enter the shell. Layers of pearls then form along the surface of the shell, creating the shiny, iridescent surface known as mother-of-pearl.

Mother-of-Pearl vs. Malachite, What is Mother-of-Pearl - Art Nacre Inc
Mother-of-Pearl vs. Malachite, What is Mother-of-Pearl – Art Nacre Inc

Mother-of-pearl is an organic-inorganic composite material made from aragonite (a type of calcium carbonate), from which pearls are also made, making them strong, resilient, and iridescent.

Mother-of-pearl material is generally found in the outer layer of pearls and in the inner layers of the shells of pearl oysters or freshwater pearl mollusks.

Mother-of-Pearl vs. Malachite, the Difference and Connection

Mother-of-Pearl vs. Malachite is both made into natural and beautiful creations by mankind, made into different jewelry and other crafts with beautiful symbolism, giving people the beauty of life.

Mother-of-Pearl vs. Malachite, what are the differences?

1. The composition is different, malachite’s main ingredient is Copper Alkali Carbonate, while Mother of Pearl’s main ingredient is Calcium Carbonate.

2. Different sources, malachite from the earth’s crust, produced in the oxidation zone of copper sulfide deposits, often coexisting with other copper-bearing minerals, mother-of-pearl from the deep sea, is a kind of mollusk shell formed within the rainbow pearl layer of the substance.

3. Different hardness, malachite as a gemstone is not durable, has low hardness, and can not maintain a good luster for a long time, while mother-of-pearl hardness is relatively high, very strong, and flexible.

4. Different colors. Malachite gets such a beautiful name because its surface color resembles the green of the spots on a peacock’s feather. Mother-of-pearl, on the other hand, there is a variety of, usually white, grey, brown, blue, and so on a variety of colors, compared to malachite’s color is richer.

5. Different Luster: Malachite is not very shiny, and can not be maintained for a long time, while mother-of-pearl naturally with rainbow luster, and does not change color.

Besides this Mother-of-Pearl vs. Malachite, What is the Difference article, you may also be interested in the below articles.

How Pearls Are Made

19 Different Types of Pearls

16 Different Types of Mosaic Tiles

Tahitian Pearl vs. South Sea Pearl

Akoya vs. South Sea Pearl, 9 Differences Between Them

Pearl vs. Mother-of-Pearl, 7 Main Differences Revealed

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