So this little beauty came into our lives the other day. We've seen lots of Azurite but seldom with the tiny crystals still visible. The Azurite crystals are usually smoothed over when the stone is in bead form. I am continuously amazed at the colors and beauty that come out of the earth. More than once while showing someone a stone or bead I'm asked if the stone was painted or dyed. Of course many stones are dyed or heated to achieve a desired color, but Azurite has a rich, deep color right out of the ground.
Azurite is deep blue or blue-green and has a Mohs hardness of 3.5-4. It's often found with Malachite as they are both copper carbonate minerals. For years it was ground down to use as blue paint, but the method was expensive and after exposure to light or humidity the blue would often turn to green. Azurite is thought to be an excellent stone for the Brow (third eye) and Throat Chakra. It helps bring old beliefs to the conscious mind for re-examination. It helps with fear and phobias, bringing to them to light with an understanding of why they occurred in the first place.
"Stone of Heaven", intuition, dreams, healing, insight, stilling the mind, concentration, self transformation, meditation, control energy. Crystal healing usage: Kidney, spleen, liver, arthritis, joints, depression, sinuses, skin.