The Stone

Zimbabwe is rich in mineral resources. The most famous geological formation is the Great Dyke, which has the world’s largest reserves of chrome and platinum. The Great Dyke also provides some of the best stone used by Zimbabwean artists.

The stone is cut using hand tools. Finished and polished carvings are placed in a fire and heated before wax is applied. This melts and is absorbed into the stone, giving it a deep lustre.

The finished carvings are frost proof, resistant to acid rain and ideal
for garden use.

Caring for your Sculpture
After a few years outside, the surface of the sculpture may become a little dull.

To restore the full burnish, clean the stone with soapy water and let it dry. Gently heat the stone with a blowtorch and apply wax with a cloth while still warm.

Small scratches can be repaired in the same way. Smooth the area around the scratch with fine emery or wet and dry paper and then again heat and apply wax.

Appropriate wax can be obtained from craft suppliers. We use "Renaissance" micro-crystalline wax polish, which protects wood and metal as well as stone

Renaissance wax and fine wet and dry paper are available through mail order from Tiranti, tel: 0118 930 2775, from their London or Theale shops or via the web on www.tiranti.co.uk.

The Sculpture

The History

The Artists

Displaying your Sculpture

Buying your Sculpture

Commonly Used Stone
The most commonly used stone is serpentine, a group of hard silicate minerals with colours from olive-green through yellow and brown to black. The outside of the stone is often weathered to brown or reddish brown.

Different varieties are characterised by colour and hardness and referred to by different names.

The stone described as Serpentine is a rich combination of brown and black.

Springstone is a pure black, with occasional flecks and veins of white.

Opalstone is generally green with red, orange and blue specks and spots.

Fruitstone is a dark green with veins of black and white.

Cobalt is reddish brown.