Azurite is a deep blue copper carbonate hydroxide and is formed through the sedimentary process.
It is oftentimes found with Malachite and can even be replaced by Malachite at times. It is generally produced when copper sulfide minerals are oxidized and altered by acidic water that travels down from the Earth’s surface. It is formed in the oxidized portion of copper deposits through the action of carbonated water on copper minerals. It is a secondary mineral that usually forms when water rich in carbon dioxide seeps into the Earth’s crust and reacts with copper ores that are at subsurface levels. The carbonic acid in these waters dissolves the small amounts of copper from the ore. The dissolved copper is then transported with the water until it reaches a new geochemical environment where the water chemistry or temperature changes or where evaporation occurs. If the right conditions are present, Azurite will form and if those right conditions persist over a long period of time, an abundance of Azurite can be formed. Malachite and Azurite are often found in the same deposits and intergrown with each other as Malachite forms under similar geological conditions as it is a copper carbonate mineral.

Sources:
“Azurite.” Geology, geology.com/minerals/azurite.shtml.

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