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The Stone
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Zimbabwe is famous for it's mineral wealth and is believed by some to be the home of the mythical King Solomon's mines. The raw material used by Zimbabwean sculptors comes predominantly from a geological region known as the Great Dyke, a volcanic fault very rich in minerals, particularly chrome, nickel and copper. It is these minerals that give the rock its beautiful characteristics.
Most of the sculpture we have is fashioned from various forms of serpentine. There are many varieties, but our favourites are Springstone and Opalstone. Below are descriptions and samples of the more common varieties.
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Springstone
A very hard rock characterised by being predominantly very dark or black but having blue, green or red veins and larger areas of rust brown, all contrasting to produce the most stunning sculptures.
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Opalstone
Generally a little softer than springstone and is mainly mid green with patches of white, however it also varies considerably, some is quite veined.
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Serpentine Generally comes in green or black forms and varies in hardness. Black serpentine is usually a very solid jet black. Green serpentine varies greatly in colour and has more variation within one piece of stone. |
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| Verdite Deep green, very hard and deeply veined stone. It can have areas of corundum within the stone which are incredibly hard.
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Cobaltstone Usually a pale dusky purple colour with many white veins. Different forms can also be found with a wide range of colours ranging from brick red to a pale blue.
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