The beautiful green colour comes from the copper contained in the stone. Water presence also affects the shade: more water in the copper makes it lighter. The green patina on weathered copper roofs is a form of malachite.
Egyptians began mining Malachite as early as 4000 BC. Malachite was worn to protect against black magic and sorcery, so the ancient Greeks made amulets for children.
Cultured pearls
Fossils
