Time for Tea
This magnificent Afghan Jade hand-carved Tea Set with 12 cups has been crafted from the colourful local stone found in Pakistan. It features light and deep orange-brown tones that is more distinctive to the Serpentine varieties found in Pakistan, rather than elsewhere. This stone is often referred to as Onyx, even though it is not agate.
The tea pot is large, weighing 910g. Its capacity is up to 300ml. It is 190mm tall and 179mm across tip to tip from the handle and spout. The base is 73mm in diameter. The little cups are 45mm tall and 50mm in diameter at their top They weigh 94-110g with a 20ml volume. The whole set weighs 2000g
Afghan Jade is a form of Serpentine named after one of the main countries where it is mined. It is a dense cryptocrystalline mixture of serpentine group mineral. These minerals are mainly antigorite, chrysotile and lizardite. It contains impurities such as chlorite, ilmenite, magnetite and talc. Afghan Jade is used for carving. It is translucent to opaque, varying in colour from white, light to dark green and can also occur with yellow, black, brown, pink or yellow inclusions.
Colour: black, brown, green, olive green, yellow
Transparency: opaque, translucent
Hardness: 6-7
Mineral group: Serpentinite
Formula: Simple: NaAlSi₂O₆; More specifically: D3[Si2O5](OH)4 D= Mg, Fe, Ni, Mn, Al, Zn
Other characteristics: Afghan Jade is technically a rock, rather than a mineral.
Location: Afghanistan, Pakistan
Rarity: common
Chakra: Heart, all
Emotional: balance, compassion, love, relationships, soothing, tranquility, understanding
Mental/intellectual: clarity, decision, perspective, selflessness
Spiritual: chakra alignment, communication with animals, connection with Nature, growth, harmony, Kundalini awakening, meditation, transformation
Astrology: Pisces, Libra, all signs; Earth
