Dear readers, if you want to learn how to imitate malachite, then take a look at this page, which shows and tells in detail how to do this malachite imitation personally.

It is not so difficult to imitate malachite, but there should always be a sample in front of your eyes that you will imitate. To do this, the Internet will help us, from which I posted here a photo depicting natural malachite.

If you have noticed, then malachite consists of veins of a greenish-turquoise hue with different saturation. These veins form all sorts of chaotic curls, which we will learn how to create on a decorated surface, which must first be primed, and if the surface is wooden, then the surface must be sanded before that. To achieve a smooth surface, after the primer has dried, sand it with sandpaper and cover it with a very light malachite shade on top.

When the light malachite shade dries, cover it with acrylic varnish and dry the surface. So far, all this has been a preliminary stage in the imitation of malachite.

Now comes the most interesting main stage of the simulation

We knead the paint of a more saturated malachite color and add a couple of drops of black for depth. If you have a medium for acrylic or glisal, then we dilute the paint with these means. If you do not have this product available, which slows down drying and makes the paint more viscous and transparent, then we replace it with washing gel, which, similarly to the first means, will slow down the drying of the paint, which means we will have time to spin around it with a homemade sponge made of twisted corrugated paper.

We first apply our malachite batch with a wide brush and immediately proceed to smooth this layer with helical movements, as shown in the picture.

During these creative manipulations, we spy on the sample with one eye. which you choose as a role model :)

That's the whole imitation, which is performed very quickly and looks bright and rich :)

Successful experiments with your own home-made imitation of malachite with your own hands :)

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I decided to try to make an imitation of malachite on the box. I liked the result, maybe not malachite, but nice.

For work you will need:

• wooden blank (casket),
• screwdriver,
• files,
• primer,
• sandpaper,
• Freedecor film for dark surfaces,
• masking tape,
• acrylic paints,
• two-step craquelure pair Maimeri,
• oil paint or antique paste,
• stencil,
• spray paint,
• vitreous varnish.

I found just such an old box, which was already fed up and ideally suited my idea.

Unscrew hardware.

We remove the corners (it's surprisingly quick and easy, the corners are nailed with tiny carnations).

Here is such a small hill of pieces of iron turned out.

The box is ready for decoration.

Sanding off old varnish and paint. I used my husband's files for this - a surprisingly handy thing.

The preparation process has been completed.

We prime the surface. My soil was too thick, I diluted it with water.

To make the malachite insert seem real and voluminous, we make a cut that separates the wooden top from the "malachite" bottom. I sawed with a metal blade, and then widened the groove with a file.

This is how the cut turned out.

We prime again.

After drying, we carefully sand all surfaces, round the edges, grind the walls.

Transfer decoupage card Freedecor. Easy to use, thin, bright, fits perfectly, and the surface is smooth, ready for finishing varnishing.

We lower the desired fragment for a minute into warm water, it activates the adhesive layer between the picture and the base.

We remove excess water. When the adhesive layer is activated, the picture can be easily removed from the base, just move it with your fingers and transfer it to the primed base. You do not need to use additional glue. Push out any bubbles with a small spatula or sponge.

Cover the surface with any varnish.

Using masking tape, we separate the top of the box from the bottom, which we will turn into malachite. To begin with, we make a background of pale turquoise color, dry it.

We prepare green paint of three different shades on the palette. In order to calmly "play" with the paint, stir it, make stains and transitions and not be afraid that it will dry prematurely, add an acrylic retarder to each.

Apply with a brush in a chaotic manner paint of different colors on the edge of the box.

Error! Have pity on the paint! I put too much paint, as a result, the drawing turned out to be too voluminous and had to be thinned with an emery block.

We make picturesque stripes with a piece of corrugated cardboard.

Error! More fantasy! My stripes are too even, this does not happen with malachite, look on the Internet for a photo of this stone, its stripes are wavy, round, ornate.

While the bottom of the box dries, cover the edges of the lid free from the glued motif with black-brown paint.

Dried strips, not yet stone-like.

We breed dark green paint and glaze the surface, comparing the color. I diluted the paint with a transparent medium.

We paint on the extreme flowers and leaves to combine the picture with the background. Do you think there is no difference? And here it is, I specially highlighted the drawing in circles, it should not be too visible.

We cover the lid with at least 3 layers of varnish.

We remove the masking tape and tint the tree left without color with black-brown paint. We cover the "tree" with the first step of the Maimeri two-step craquelure pair.

When the first layer dries to a state of "tack" - it sticks a little, but leaves no trace - we apply the second step.

As it dries, cracks appear, which are barely noticeable without grouting, but still they can already be clearly seen. The process can be accelerated with a hair dryer.

We rub the cracks with oil paint or, as in my case, antique paste. Perfectly rubbed and the result is pleasing.

Here's what happened.

After drying, I washed off the top layer, as many decoupagers recommend. But some people don't wash it off. After washing, be careful, the bottom layer is still sticky! Dry and immediately cover with a protective layer of varnish.

Let's go downstairs. The strips turned out to be very even and "high", I decided to move away from technology and remove some of the paint with an emery block. It has become much better!

We're still filming, we're glazing. We fix the cover on the base with adhesive tape.

We fill the stencil.

Result.

We skin and varnish 2-3 layers, we skin and varnish.

The process is endless. Skinning and varnishing. It took me two days to do this. The last two coats I did with a glassy polish to make it shine. They can make all layers, but it is more economical, it is one of the most expensive specials. decoupage varnishes

Error! Be patient! It is important to wait for the varnish to dry completely, otherwise, when sanding, it will crumble and peel off with a rubber film. To correct it, you will have to wait for complete drying and again sand and varnish.

We return the fittings to the place.

We use a new beautiful thing!

The “Mistress of the Copper Mountain” from a fairy tale could not even think that people, having not reached her treasures in the mountains, would begin to fake her pride -. But imitations of the mineral are often tried to pass off as the original. Do you have a malachite product at home? If there is, then you can be calm. After all, malachite is a stone of health and a protector from all kinds of misfortunes. The main thing is to know when buying a stone how to distinguish malachite from a fake.

Demand for the mineral is still high, but large deposits have mostly been exhausted. Therefore, making up for the shortage on the shelves, artificial analogues are increasingly appearing. Unusual malachite color always pleases the eye in crafts and jewelry. But paying a high price for a fake is unpleasant. There are several criteria on how to distinguish natural malachite from a fake.

What does a real mineral look like?

Natural malachite does not shine through, has a low density, which facilitates its processing. On the treated surface of the mineral, a bizarre pattern of blurry curved rings, painted in different shades of green, opens up. The color shimmers and smoothly transitions from almost colorless to dark emerald green. All this in a strict sequence, each ring has its own shade, as if a skilled artist carefully traced the pattern. Monochromatic fragments are rare.

Before processing, the sample may have a glassy sheen. But after polishing, it acquires a delicate silky sheen. The stone is sensitive to heat and may partially disintegrate in hot water.

In the era of the Soviet Union, it was famous for being mined near Sverdlovsk. To date, the main supply of the mineral comes from Zaire. Stones are also mined in the USA, Namibia, Chile, Australia, Zimbabwe, Kazakhstan and the Urals.

Color shades will tell you how to distinguish malachite from its counterpart. The production of imitations is put on stream, they don’t think about the variety of colors here.

Therefore, stones similar to malachite are painted in 2-3 shades of green and no more. Look closely at the sample: if only three green options alternate in it, then you have a fake mineral in your hands. Natural stone has a pattern of lines of similar, but unequal shades of emerald color. The number of options for the gamut of green reaches ten or more.

pressed mineral

Often, when the buyer doubts the authenticity of the material, the seller argues the quality by saying that this is a pressed sample. Pressed malachite is usually of natural origin, but low grade. It consists of fragments and fragments of stone of various sizes, pressed together and connected with epoxy resin. In these samples, sharp edges of fragments and partitions between inclusions are visible. In the mineral, zones of epoxy resin with pebbles floating in it are clearly visible.

Some pressed malachite products are very beautiful, but the quality is still lower than usual, and the price should not be too high accordingly.

Ways to recognize imitation

There are several methods of how to determine imitation available at home:

• Price. Natural stone cannot be cheap, under any conditions and excuses. If the price is low, then the stones are definitely fake.
• Weight. Hold different samples in the palm of your hand, malachite minerals are heavier than analogues.
• Shine and cold. Natural stones are colder than their plastic counterparts. Artificial malachite has a glassy sheen, while the surface of the original is more matte.
• Hardness. The natural mineral has a low hardness. Take a piece of quartz and swipe it over the mineral - a deep mark will immediately remain, glass and plastic are more difficult to scratch.
• Acid test. Malachite dissolves in acid, releasing carbon dioxide and turning blue. Crafts from analogues will not change color.
• To recognize a fake, do a simple trick: a burning candle is brought to the sample . The plastic will melt immediately.

Talking about malachite, you need to clarify what pseudomalachite is.

This is a separate mineral, outwardly very similar. It differs in a blue tint and properties inherent only to it. Comparing samples, an inexperienced person will easily believe that this is malachite. This mineral is quite rare. The only plus is that if they sell it to you instead of the original, you will get not just a piece of plastic, but a natural, rare mineral.

Synthetic fakes

Scientific laboratories have developed a method for obtaining synthetic malachite. The manufacturing technology of artificial stone makes it possible to obtain a mineral by synthesis, which is extremely difficult to distinguish from natural. The production of artificial stone makes it possible to replace its natural samples in stone-cutting. For example, for facing various architectural fragments inside the building, given the high price of natural material.

When buying jewelry on the market, you should not expect magical or healing properties from it. Such products are attractive and beautiful, but they have the properties of glass or plastic, and not of valuable natural stone. Therefore, it is worth looking for the original in specialized jewelry stores, where they will also show you documents confirming the natural origin of the product.

Thinking about how to make the right choice in favor of the original, it makes sense to go to the Museum of Geology. There you can carefully examine the pattern written by nature, feel its energy and magnetism.

In this article:

Malachite is very widely used in arts and crafts. It is the main carbonate of copper, and is interesting not in color, brilliance, or shades, but in a complex pattern that has been formed over many years due to natural conditions. For a long time, it was not possible to obtain an artificial stone, but now on the market you can find many copies of the mineral synthesized in the laboratory. How to make malachite and is it possible at home?

The answer to this question is only half yes. In nature, malachite is formed in places where copper ores are deposited, provided that they occur in carbonate rocks. When copper ore is washed out under the action of groundwater and oxygen and carbon dioxide dissolved in them, copper goes into solution. This solution contains copper ions, which slowly seep through the limestone and react with it. As a result, basic copper carbonate is formed.

Imitation malachite

There is a chemical reaction that allows you to get malachite at home. In order to do this, you need:

• anhydrous sodium carbonate or baking soda;
• copper sulfate (copper sulfate, copper sulfate);
• funnel;
• Petri dish;
• filter paper;
• cones and vessels.

Anhydrous sodium carbonate and blue vitriol are mixed in the same amount. The precipitate is then filtered using a funnel and filter paper. After that, the paper with sediment is removed and dried in a Petri dish. This will be the malachite powder. Anhydrous sodium carbonate can also be made by roasting regular baking soda in a pan.

As you can see, this method does not allow you to get a stone, but only a powder of a substance.

Industrial production

There are several ways to get artificial malachite. The first and most obvious is the use of natural malachite in powder form and sintering it at high pressure. The main process that occurs in this case is that the substance is compacted and recrystallized. The same method is used in America to produce turquoise. It is also used to obtain other semi-precious stones of this type.

In our country, similar malachite is produced by fusing mineral crumbs at a pressure of up to 10 thousand atmospheres, in parallel with this, the sample must be heated to 100 degrees. The result is a solid mass in the form of plates.

Another possible way is hydrothermal. It is based on the fact that water acts as a solvent. But since under normal conditions it is not able to dissolve so many substances, certain ones are created - high pressure and temperature. This method gives a malachite stone, very similar to natural. But the main task is to get the texture of the stone. At one time, the technology was developed at three Soviet enterprises and is now widely used both here and abroad, for example, in Canada.

A specific technology for obtaining a stone by artificial means, which would also make it possible to obtain a pattern of malachite, is mentioned in many popular science and news magazines. However, the detailed descriptions do not name a specific recipe. It turns out that to this day the technology remains a secret.

Thus, there is no known way to help obtain malachite at home, so that it is fully consistent with the original.

In order to imitate malachite, other methods are widely used.

Imitation

One way to make a malachite product is to use polymer clay. Polymer clay is a substance that is polyvinyl chloride with the addition of plasticizers. It is used as a basis for making crafts. For example, flowers are made from it. There are two types of plastics: one hardens at a temperature of 100 degrees, the other at room temperature, but for a longer period of time. During solidification, the plasticizer evaporates and a product is obtained from polyvinyl chloride.

In order to make malachite from polymer clay, they take several shades of green and roll small circles out of them. I put them one on top of the other in a random order and pull out “sausages” from them, which are then stretched, cut into pieces and folded again. It turns out a picture that exactly imitates the surface of the stone. This stone is used for pendants and jewelry inserts.

Another option to imitate malachite on any surfaces is to apply acrylic paint. To begin with, the paint, again in various shades of green, is applied to the prepared primed surface. It is covered with spots randomly in different colors. The main task here is to paint over the entire surface.

Further, to give the paint an even more random pattern, a film or bag of polyethylene is used. After that, using a scalpel, a plastic tool of a similar shape or a piece of paper, the lamellar pattern of natural stone is imitated. The product is sprinkled with water and excess paint is removed with paper. At the end, you can varnish the workpiece.

Another option to imitate malachite in the interior is decorative plaster. As in the method with decorating with acrylic paints, plaster of different shades is used. It is laid as a final layer and does not require painting, but is opened with varnish.

Imitation stone malachite. Decoupage master class.

I'm glad to welcome you! The second mini lesson from the mini kuras "Imitation of a stone surface".

I invite you to the malachite fairy tale!

I present to your attention a part of a mini lesson.

There is a dream and there is a great desire to create

and create miracles with your own hands.

The craftswomen prepared thoroughly, everything should be at hand.

Necessary materials:

• Cutting board blank (you can choose a box, jar, etc.)
• Acrylic paints: white, black, green paint in 3 shades.
• Water in a glass.
• Acrylic paint drying retardant.
• Brushes, sponge or foam rubber, cardboard, sheets of paper.
• Acrylic lacquer.
• Sandpaper No. 400, 800, 2000.
• Decoupage card with motive.
• Great mood and desire to create.

The needlewomen did their homework, fed the children and husband, cleaned the house and began to do magic. I am sure that you have also prepared everything and we will start doing miracles. We will make a key holder from a simple plywood blank.

Let's prepare the workpiece first. Do you remember how the tree should be prepared for work? Well done!!!

Gently mix white and green paint with a palette knife. This is the base layer of our background.

With light movements with the help of foam rubber, it covers the entire workpiece with a thin layer. We let it dry, process it with sandpaper and varnish it.

Let's prepare a green darker paint and a plastic bag. Paint was applied to the surface with strokes and pressed with a crumpled bag once.

We also apply paint with strokes to ready-made spots.

This is the result of our needlewoman. If you like it, then fix it with varnish.

We take a small cardboard and cut off the edge. Now the main thing is to work smoothly and quickly. We mix paints with a drying retarder. Got 4 colors.

We impose strokes, alternating light and dark tones of greenery. We apply the uneven side of the cardboard to the edge, slightly pressing only the bottom, draw a semicircle in one direction.

Here's what the end result should be. The result suits you, then we fix it with varnish.

After complete drying, apply a highly diluted mixture of light green and black. In some places, wipe off the paint with a napkin so that the main pattern clearly shows through.

It remains to glue a small blank with an image, attach a hook, decorate with stickers or contours.

The craftswoman turned out a wonderful stone. And you will be able to imitate malachite. The main desire to create and you will get your own unique pattern.

Who liked this tale of malachite, I invite you to subscribe to

Course "Imitation of a stone surface" 8 mini lessons.

You will learn about the intricacies and secrets of various stone imitation techniques using simple and accessible materials.

Let's create unique decor items together with you.