Malachite is a green copper carbonate mineral. Its name could have come from the Greek word, "malache" which means "mallow", because the color of malachite is similar to the color of mallow leaf. Alternatively, the name could have originated in the Greek word, "malakos", which means "soft", due to the fact that malachite is soft compared with other minerals. Malachite is used as a source of copper and as a gemstone. It often occurs with azurite in copper deposits. Malachite often has distinctive concentric bands in varying shades of green, which make it an interesting gemstone. It typically occurs in aggregate form, as botryoidal (grape-shaped) masses. The history of malachite goes back to the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, who used malachite to make jewellery and amulets, and ground it into powder to make eyeshadow. Malachite is a protection stone, absorbing negative energies and pollutants from the atmosphere and from the body. It guards against radiation of all kinds, clears electromagnetic pollution, and heals earth energies.