Designer’s choice: Malachite!

Yes, it is true, Malachite has found its way back into today’s design and is stronger than ever. Tony Duquette, an Interior Designer, Jeweler and Costume Designer, cornered the Malachite market in the mid-1900s. He was known for his “Natural Baroque” style because of his extensive use of malachite, shells, antlers, coral, bones and feathers. He mixed a countless array of styles and periods into his designs. As an Ode to Tony Duquette, Baker Furniture has teamed up with Duquette’s long time business partner, Hutton Wilkinson, to reproduce a few of Duquette’s original works. But Baker Furniture is not the only company to recently make headlines regarding the comeback of Duquette’s one-of-a-kind design. Jim Thompson, who was a personal friend to Duquette and his wife, Elizabeth, has also invited Hutton Wilkinson to create an exclusive collection of woven and printed textiles for both commercial and residential use. Among the selected prints pulled from the Duquette archives is a malachite print called Gemstone (shown below).

Cole and Sons has also brought Malachite back in their Fornasetti Collection. The wallpapers within this collection were inspired by original drawings from Italian designer, Piero Fornasetti.

For the generation that appreciated malachite its first go around, this may bring back comforting memories or horrible flashbacks! To ease your minds, I have attached some less obtrusive pieces that will incorporate malachite into your home without dominating the decor. For instance, check out these beautiful faux malachite accessories from Global Views.

I have also found three great pieces from Theodore Alexander that feature the actual semi-precious stone.