PRODUCT INFORMATION

General Description

Verdite is a light to dark green Serpentine-like mineral dating back 3500 million years ago. This beautiful green stone of Africa is also known as Bud Stone or African Jade. Verdite is the term used for a Fuchsite based rock discovered in South Africa. It is related with Serpentine from the eastern part of Zimbabwe and South Africa. The material has been given various common names over the past few decades and has been commonly used in Zimbabwe Shona carvings for many decades. The colours of the green are variable across pieces, with often swirling or banded complex patterns due to the colour intensity changes across pieces. Fairly soft and simple to carve.

Zimbabwe boasts a rich history of stone carving traditions that span many centuries. In recent decades, this unique craft has evolved to primarily focus on creating animal-themed sculptures and other items tailored to the local tourism market. While more contemporary works of art have been developed, they are relatively scarce beyond the country's borders. Regrettably, due to the economic hardships endured over the past two decades, primarily due to governance issues, the transfer of stone working and carving skills to younger generations has suffered. Among the younger population, the concept of carving or "art" as a means of livelihood is not widely embraced. At Toprock, we've taken on the mission of establishing a market for the meticulously hand-carved stone works of art originating from this region.

Price is grade dependant. Items are as shown.

Product Data

Locality = Zimbabwe
Grade = Very Good to A Grade
Size = 140 - 150 mm | 5.5 - 5.9 inch
Net Weight = 1.8 Kg | 4 Lbs
Product Type = Small Batch

Net Weight = 1.81 kg
SKU = A137100VER