so what exactly is this stone?

OK, I may have been doing a spot of gem shopping, but it was purely for the benefit of my students… honest…

Here is a new composite stone which is a mix of malachite pieces, set in a metallic effect resin matrix. Gemmologists describe this as a composite stone – 2 or more natural or man-made materials joined together to give the appearance of a single stone. A variation on Mojave turquoise which has turquoise pieces set in the resin.