Blended azurite-malachite??

Take a look at this photo....

[goblinnation.com]

The maker of this sword states that the hilt is naturally blended azurite and malachite. I've never seen azurite and malachite in such a "natural" state. Does anyone have any idea what this really is?

I would think the azurite would have to be extremely well stabilized in order to be used in such an application where quite a bit of force could be applied to a sword hilt such as this. Is it possible to stabilize azurite to attain the strength needed?

Thank you for any information you can provide!

That is certainly a beautiful hilt....yes, I've seen azurite & malachite in just a association the 'proof of the pudding' is a 'hands on ' inspection. Is that possible BEFORE you pay?????

You've seen it "flow" in that fashion before? I've never seen anything like it in any azurite-malachite combination.

Hi, Don;
you are right; that is blended trash. I'd actually be surprised if there's ANY azurite or malachite in that, at all. Looks entirely fake; I've seen the same garbage at various flea markets.
Your friend, Steve

Do you have any idea what it might be? Plastics or ???

Hi Don,

No way that is natural!!! My guess is that it may be some type of plastic, but it certainly is not natural azurite-malachite. Some people...

Dana

Hi Don,

The colours are very close to what you would expect them to be if it were real...my guess is that it's plastic with crushed malachite and azurite in it made as two different colours then swirled together to what you see.

I once sold an awesome Tsumeb azurite crystal group only for the buyer to tell me he was going to crush it into powder to add it to paint ( an artist )...oh well there's not much you can do after they have paid for it.

Craig

Not a very bright artist at that. Any BFA level art history course would have taught them that Azurite as a pigment is very unstable, It had been employed, briefly, centuries ago and abandoned due to the poor results.

I agree with Craig, The colors, if not the patterning, is a fairly good match. Certainly if it were made of natural Azurite/Malachite, employing good pieces with a nice mix of blue and green, the cost of materials alone would be quite prohibitive.

I suggest, Don, you look at some lappers stock at the next local mineral show. I suspect your jaw will drop at the prices even small nicely balanced Azurite/Malachite pieces are fetching these days. I.E. you likely shouldn't be too upset. Misinformed, yes, but probably not "ripped-off".

MRH

I didn't buy it. Someone else bought it for $10,000. My suspicion was more along the lines of a polypearl type of plastic. Considering the other things shown in the shop, which are definitely polypearl, I would still tend more toward that explanation.

Thanks for the information!

I think the "stone" inlaid in the sword handle is man made plastic sold as "block" azurite - malachite. Rarely is any crushed real stone used, it's all dyes and plastic resins swirled together. The all plastic version is sold in Alaska as "Arctic opal" though it is neither opal nor found in the Arctic.
example: www.alaskaguide.com/akstore/arctic_opal.htm

There is a "compressed nugget" sort of block made that chunks of dyed lapis and malachite mixed together with resins and dyes to form a block that can be sliced and worked like stone. This is also sold as azurite - malachite. Having some real stones in it means it does not have the swirls and spatters of the totaly synthetic product,
example: The triangle beads at www.earthstone.com/Info/Beads/Azurite%20Malachite.htm look like the compressed composite material.

It was always my impression that these azurite/malachite blends were actually azurite and malachite pieces which were put into a stabilizing solution and then as someone said above, blocked, sliced and polished.

I learned the hard way when I ordered some azurite malachite tumbles. They were most obviously faked.

kristi;
There are azurite/malachite blends & there are "azurite"/"malachite" blends; it's just REAL hard to pronouce those quotation marks in the original snazbezzian accent. most people drop those quotes during writing & speaking, except by those gifted w/the "rabbitear finger dictation aids. The stuff pictured has NO real mineral content & should have been written as w/"'s; BUT, it had to be done that way , JUST in case the blend maker actually used such & is sitting, waiting for some forum like this one to slander his name by calling them COMPLETE fakes. As far as the 10K sell tag, I doubt that, too; if someone DID buy for that, I hope they're big fans of mediocre steel work.
steve

Yes, someone DID in fact pay $10k for that sword and is fully convinced that she got a REAL fully natural azurite/malachite hilt on the sword. There were no rabbit ear quotes around it when he told her that either. The maker is absolutely a fraud.

Just curious though ... I'm of the same opinion, but what makes you believe it's mediocre steel work?

Don;
I've MADE better steel implements than what was pictured, I know good steel work. luster show uneven tempering, probably poor heat control or, more likely, poor charcoal blending. You don't get enough charcoal to stick to your raw iron stock, you just get hammered iron, not good steel. There were other details in pic that gave me pause. I've seen too much GREAT steel to appreciate this character's work. To be honest, most Middle Age crafters were actually WORSE than this one; since chemistry didn't enter the picture until WAY late, most Euro-steel had NO decent standards & almost all talent was put into making decorations, not better steel. Japanese were #1, with chinese coming a close #2. Turks had good steel, too.
Steve

There was a lot of this "malachite-azurite" stuff at the Tucson Show about 12-15 years ago. It is very pretty and my wife bought a pendant with a large cobochon of this stuff. I tested the backside with a hot needle and it is defintely some plastic with blue and green material to give the nice appearance.
John S.

Apart from the possibility that it might be just plastic, the so-called "Eilat Stone" (you can look it up in the database) may look quite similar when polished.

Dear Peter;
if you mean similar as a "Arky diamond" is to a "Herkimer diamond", OK; if you mean looking at this stuff & Eilate stone in the midst of a new moon night, OK. BUT, if you mean looking at either example one hour before dusk or after dawn, NOT A CHANCE! The best Eilate wouldn't look this fake. Don't look at just the color, look at the structure. You don't just have curved color bands, you have 360+ deg. SWIRLS, CONCENTRICALLY. This ain't a maybe; it's just trash.
your friend, Steve

"I tested the backside with a hot needle"

That's called the "Edward II" test here in England.

Jolyon

Jolyon....you made a joke! It may be lost on a lot of us non British, but it's funny. I've used this test many times but have never heard the joke before. Thanks!

Bob

"Jolyon....you made a joke!"

I have been known to do, from time to time!

Jolyon