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WHO: The Taj Mahal, the Washington Monument, the Pantheon and a slew of other ancient Greek and Roman buildings; Alexander Wang’s debut collection for Balenciaga; people in Knoxville, Tenn.; collectors of cheese plates; sculptors and any blogger known for their artfully arranged tabletop still lives. Russian czars, fans of Egyptian tomb paintings, jewelers and crystal healers looking for balance, abundance, manifestation and intention; as well as Paris fashion brand Avoc who presented a full malachite print outfit in their F/W ’15 presentation and Jason Wu who relied heavily on the green mineral’s hue in his S/S ‘16 show.

WHAT: Marble and malachite are having a serious fashion moment… despite the fact that they have been around literally since forever. Eyewear designers have hit a rich vein of inspiration and are taking things back to the stone age with optical and sun styles in acetates that look like they’ve been carved from the world’s finest marble and malachite.

WEAR: (Top to Bottom) The Jonathan Adler JA307UF in bone from REM feels like the richest Travertine has been sculpted into fabulous frames. People have been using malachite to adorn themselves since pre-Egyptian times and it’s no wonder when the stone is as gloriously vibrant and luminescent as these Bon Vivant Fleur frames from Ogi. The Tory Burch TY7087 sunglasses in a creamy swirled acetate from Luxottica are the next best thing to actually visiting ancient Rome. In the Middle Ages, malachite was believed to protect against the “Evil Eye,” it’s undoubtedly doubly protective when worn as a gorgeous pair of sunnies like the Balenciaga BA50 from Marcolin.

WHY: Though the frames that speak to this trend may look hard and cold, they feel warm and organic on the face. Stone and mineral-inspired eyewear appeals directly to those looking for something classic, elegant and dripping with luxury. Besides, it’s the stone’s impurities that give marble its color and character, and it’s easy to love anything that relies on its imperfections for its beauty.

dcarroll@jobson.com