My Malachite

When I started making jewelry as a hobby, my mother had given me her broken green gemstone necklace for me to use in my creations. She had told me to take good care of them, since they were valuable. I never realized the true value of this gemstone until my recent visit to Saint-Petersburg, Russia. 

Malachite is an opaque green mineral derived from copper (from where the color green).  The origin of the name is due to its resemblance to the banded leaves of the Mallow plant. 

A Marllow plant

Malachite Gemstone

When I visited the Hermitage, I was astonished to see the large quantities of malachite used to decorate this beautiful winter palace. An outstanding display of this vibrant green gemstone can be found in the Malachite Room, from decorative vases, artifacts, fire place and columns.

The Malachite room in the Hermitage Museum, Saint-Petersburg Russia

A neoclassical vase made of malachite at the Hermitage

Artifacts made of malachite in the Hermitage Museum, Saint-Petersburg

While driving the other day, I noticed a garage sale. What quickly caught my eye was this chess set made of a familiar green stone. I asked the owner about the history and nature of this beautiful piece. He explained to me that in 1970, a group of men from Zaire came to Canada to learn about the Canadian railway management. As a gift, they offered him this chess set made of malachite.

My chess set made of malachite and white marble

I knew about the important malachite deposits in the Russian mountains of Ural, but I was surprised to learn that malachite is also found in Africa. I now have my own malachite artifact. Not as impressive as the ones found in the Hermitage, but something that will remind me about my beautiful voyage to Saint-Petersburg. 

All I need to learn is how to play chess.

Yours truly,

Olga Markiza

The Hang

During our sprint around Saint-Petersburg, I came across a musician playing an unusually ‘UFO’ shaped instrument on his lap. At first, I thought the music was coming from another source. I couldn’t understand how such a beautiful melody could be produced by such a funny looking instrument. As I got closer, I saw that the melody was really coming from this instrument. He was gently tapping it’s metal surface using only his hands and fingers The melody produced was a mix of harp, bells and steelpan; a perfect relaxation music.

Musician playing the hang in Saint-Petersburg, Russia

I patiently waited for him to pause to ask him the name of this mysterious instrument: Hang he answered. Graduated from a musical school, I had never heard of such an instrument. Since I was falling behind, I then quickly bought his CD and continued on with my sightseeing. It’s afterwards that I learned that the Hang was invented in Bern, Switzerland at the beginning of the millenium. The word Hang means hand in the Bernese language, since it’s played using fingers and hands. Since 2000, the handpan family is growing, as well as it’s popularity around the world.

Yours truly,

Olga Markiza