Malab was a smooth and highly reflective black mineral found only on Telos IV. Lighting a glow rod in a cave of malab would give the illusion of standing beneath thousands of stars. Due to its rarity and natural beauty, it was highly prized throughout the galaxy.
During the Dark Jedi Xanatos' control of Telos IV, malab was one of the natural resources harvested by Xanatos' Offworld Mining Corporation. For Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn, it served as evidence of Xanatos' manipulation of the Telosian population.