Synthetic Malachite Pigment

Synthetic Malachite (Copper (II) carbonate) Supplied in a 20 ml glass vial, with cork stopper and hand sealed with wax like all of the other London Pigments. This pigment is made from copper sulphate and sodium carbonate. Traditional names attributed to this colour are Green Verditer, Green Bice and Mountain Green. In nature this colour can occur as the mineral Malachite, in conjunction with azurite. Both of these colours can be found in maritime environments. Copper on roofs can react with carbon dioxide from the air to produce a green patina, a form of copper carbonate. This pigment is translucent, with very fine heavy particles. It is naturally a granulating pigment.

The naturally occurring malachite is sometimes found as delicate fibrous aggregates and as concentrically banded stalactites. Its name comes from the Greek for “mallow”, in reference to its leaf-green colour. With arsenic, copper carbonate can be used to make cupric acetoarsenite, commonly known as Paris green or Emerald green. This was the green favoured by Napoleon, that ultimately due to its toxicity, led to his death. Tip: Try grinding this pigment even finer, and you will find it becomes paler in colour.