Going For Gold

Usually found in green with inclusions of blues, gold, red and browns. The only known deposits are found in areas where gold was first discovered in Africa many centuries ago. It is related to the Serpentinite and occurs in various lens-shaped pods dotted over a 25-kilometre range. The material has no cleavage and is riddled with intrusions of corundum (ruby) crystals (hence the name Ruby Verdite), quarts, calcite and mica. Chromium is the mineral, which gives Verdite its distinctive rich green colour – Ruby Verdite can be extremely hard.

Found in many deposits throughout Zimbabwe its colours vary from black to brown to green, orange and variegated. Hardness level varies from very soft to vary hard.

Is a mineral of the mica group, has been used as a source of lithium. This stone is a by-product of the mining of lithium, because of the nature of the stone it is difficult to carve. The pink to violet shades of the stone are very attractive.