Dyed for effect

This Heart hand-carved in dyed Afghan Jade from Pakistan 72*68*16mm weighs 126g. It has been fashioned by Lawrence Handicrafts from two pieces of Afghan Jade dyed and glued together. The brighter colors shown in some of the photos are the result of its dye's fluorescence under UV light.

Afghan Jade is a form of Serpentine (Bowenite) named after the country where it is mined. It is translucent to opaque, varying in colour from white, light to dark green and can also occur with yellow, black or pink.

Colour: black, brown, green, olive green, yellow

Transparency: opaque

Lustre: greasy, silky, vitreous, waxy

Crystal system: monoclinic

Fracture: uneven

Hardness: 2.5-6

Mineral group: phyllosilicates

Formula: (Mg, Fe)₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄; more generally X₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄, with X = Mg²⁺, Fe²⁺, Ni²⁺, Mn²⁺, Zn²⁺

Major varieties: Antigorite, Bowenite, Chrysotile, Lizardite

Location: Afghanistan, Australia, Austria, France, Germany, Madagascar, Pakistan, Peru, South Africa, UK

Rarity: common Chakra: all

Emotional: compassion, love, relationships, soothing

Mental/intellectual: selflessness

Spiritual: chakra alignment, communication with animals, connection with Nature, Kundalini awakening, meditation, transformation

Astrology: all signs; Earth

Number: 8