Malachite is one of the oldest known green pigments to be used in paintings. It can easily be ground into a soft powder due to its low Mohs score, mixes easily with vehicles (water, oil, etc.), and retains its color when exposed to light overtime (unlike amethyst). The pigment is also known as Olympian green. This pigment is found in the paintings of Egyptian tombs and in paintings produced throughout Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. Declined significantly during the 17th century when alternative green colors were developed.

Chrysocolla is a secondary mineral with copper, meaning it forms as a byproduct of copper as it is subject to weathering and oxidation in the Earth’s crust. It only forms where there are copper deposits. They often form resembling bubbles, or botryoidal, and is a bright blue and green due to the copper content.