Malachite vs Turquoise: What Are They, And What's The Difference?

The conversation and confusion about malachite and turquoise stems largely from the appearance of both of these beautiful stones.

However, to further the confusion, they are used for very similar purposes.

Both malachite and turquoise offer a wide range of green hues, but vary in other areas including their properties and metaphysical uses.

Read on to learn more about the differences and similarities of malachite and turquoise.

Malachite vs Turquoise: The Basics

What is Malachite?

Malachite is a stone with a name that is derived from the Greek word malakee or malache.

The stone itself has a copper carbonate hydroxide composition, and it is the copper component of malachite that gives it its green hues.

Malachite was first used as an ore to yield the metal of copper.

However, malachite is not found in enough quantities today in the world to be used for copper structures, but it is used in gems and sculptures today.

Malachite was first used 4000 years ago when discovered in Egypt and Israel.

Today, it is still found there, but also mined from Russia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, France, Arizona, and Australia.

It is sold all over the world as a beautiful and precious gem, and is used by jewelers, and even used to chalk a pigment in paintings and art.

Uses of Malachite

A primary purpose of malachite has been to use it as a pigment in buildings, vehicles, and art.

In Egypt, it was frequently ground to become a powder, where it was used for pigmenting objects, and even people.

People around the world still use malachite today as a makeup or for cosmetic purposes.

Other uses of malachite include using it as a hard stone.

Here, malachite is polished, sliced and sculpted to create jewelry, ornaments, and boxes.

Metaphysical Uses of Malachite

Malachite is a stone that is used by believers and practitioners for a variety of metaphysical purposes.

Some call it a stone of change, that allows one to adapt to life’s changing circumstances.

Its color is a deep green that to many represents the growth of nature and beauty of the Earth and its potential prosperity.

It is also said to draw out unclean forces or chemicals from the physical body of the person that is using it for metaphysical healing.

Many will take malachite for physical healing much farther than that, and apply it to physical ailments.

It has been used for stomach problems, and even heart problems.

Malachite is green in color and also the color of the heart chakra; many use it for both physical heart healing and heart break.

Some that enjoy Malachite also use it for protection from negative energy.

It is often placed around or near children, and to warn of impending danger.

Others say that malachite is an excellent stone to protect during traveling, particularly flights and flying.

For this purpose, Malachite is connected to the Archangel Raphael.

It has been used to help with jet lag, and support for many airline workers to dispel negativity and protect from danger.

What is Turquoise?

Turquoise is a mineral that also has a chemical compound that includes copper.

With turquoise there are also aluminum compounds that contribute to its strength and durability.

Turquoise comes in a wide variety of colors, but is most commonly blue and green.

Some shades of turquoise may appear a yellow green, and this is simply due to the mixture of chemicals and the quantities of the compounds that yield a variety of turquoise shades.

The color of turquoise has given birth to its name.

It is said that only a few other minerals on the planet have a shade or hue that is as widely used as turquoise.

Those are silver, gold, and copper.

Copper is an element found in the compound of turquoise.

Turquoise has been used for centuries for a wide variety of purposes.

It is found in almost every continent, but most commonly found in Africa, Asia, South America and North America.

Today, turquoise is produced in the southwest of the United States, Mexico, Iran, Egypt, Chile and China.

These are areas of the world where rain seeps into the soil and rock in specific formations.

When it does, small amounts of copper in the soil dissolve.

That water will eventually evaporate, and the dissolution of copper forms compounds with phosphorous and aluminum to create the stone we know as turquoise.

Purposes and Uses of Turquoise

Turquoise has been used for thousands of years, with its beginnings occurring most notably in Egypt.

Its color has been a sight to behold since its first discovery, when it was first seen as a Persian blue shade.

As recent as 2000 years ago, turquoise was found in areas that are now New Mexico.

That is when it first became used for pendants, and art in the form of sculpture.

The Native Americans have used turquoise for thousands of years for a number of purposes.

They are used as trade for value in exchange for goods and services.

They are also used in jewelry, spiritual design, and metaphysical purposes.

Many people all over the world today use turquoise for its metaphysical properties as well.

Metaphysical Uses of Turquoise

In many cases, the color of turquoise is what lends to specific purposes when it comes to metaphysical uses.

Its shades are those of the heart chakra and the throat chakra according to New Age philosophies.

The heart chakra is green and the throat chakra is blue.

The heart chakra is meant to give and receive love, while the throat chakra is meant to give and receive communication.

In that sense, turquoise is used to enhance these gifts in the individual that is using the stone for chakra healing.

It is also a stone for purification purposes to many people.

To that end, it is used to remove negative energy or for protective purposes.

Some even say that it can prevent panic attacks.

Similarities and Differences Between Turquoise and Malachite

When it comes to malachite and turquoise, the similarities largely come from their chemical makeup and compound.

Both are green in color, with no distinct shade of green being their own color.

Each stone has a different element of green to it in differing forms.

Both stones are also very hard when in stone form, and this makes them valuable stones with longevity and durability.

As such they both perform well in buildings and sculpture.

When ground, both stones also have this same property.

Both can be used in paintings that will stand the test of time.

That is due to the copper element of their composition.

Their differences also go back to their compounds and roots.

Malachite is a little lower on the hardness scale than turquoise is.

Malachite is also less valuable than turquoise as a result.

With the copper compound, malachite contains carbonate, but turquoise contains phosphate.

The Confusion Between Malachite and Turquoise

When it comes to the conversation between malachite vs turquoise, the confusion often stems from their appearances.

In many cases, it’s not the eye of the beholder that should be faulted for the confusion.

Turquoise is more valuable than malachite, and used more widely around the world.

The two stones appear almost identical, and as such, malachite is frequently used as a fooler stone in precious items to achieve a higher return in trade.

Those that use these stones for metaphysical purposes will need the actual stone for healing and New Age work, as they are not purchasing the gems for value.

Learn More About Turquoise and Malachite Today

Whether or not you need to understand the differences between malachite and turquoise will depend on what you want to use the stones for.

Both stones are beautiful in appearance, used as precious gems in jewelry and art.

They differ in their compounds and value, but are both valuable enough to own and cherish for life.