Sterling silver placeholder-obelisk with malachite

This sterling silver and red porphyry obelisk is one of a group of 12, which can also be purchased individually. They can be placed on the table as a placeholder, after writing the name of the various diners on a card that will be inserted behind the silver triangle Malachite is highly distinctive, with its variegated banding and rich emerald green color. That color comes from the copper deposits where malachite is often found. In fact, malachite itself is used as a source of copper via the process of smelting. Often malachite is found with azurite, a brilliant blue gemstone that also forms in copper rich areas. Concentrically banded malachite, known as “peacock’s eye”, is especially sought after, as it is rarer than linearly banded gemstones. Malachite is rather soft, with a Mohs hardness of 3.5 to 4. Malachite is found all over the world, including the U.S. (Arizona), Brazil, Australia, Mexico, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In St. Petersburg, Russia, in the corner of a building known as the Winter Palace, is a remarkable room. Tall columns of banded green stone flank the walls, while a grandiose fireplace carved from the same material commands attention in the heart of the room. This is the Malachite Room, a once royal reception room adorned with a gemstone that has been beloved since antiquity. What is most impressive about the Malachite Room is that the features of the room, which also include furniture and large urns, were carved from huge slabs of malachite, rather than smaller specimens laid out in mosaics, as was commonly done. With such large stones for the eye to behold, the beautiful features of malachite are evident, making it easy to understand why this gemstone has been favored for centuries.