Afghan Jade hand-carved Tea Set with 12 cupsAfternoon Tea Time This magnificent Afghan Jade hand carved Tea Set with 12 cups has been crafted from the 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. It is 190mm tall and 179mm across tip to tip from the handle and spout. The base is

Afternoon Tea Time

This magnificent Afghan Jade hand-carved Tea Set with 12 cups has been crafted from the 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. 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 44mm tall and 47mm in diameter at their top.

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