From stunning granite to brilliant serpentine, the stones of Zimbabwe are a colourful visual catalogue of incredible mineral wealth.
Shona sculptors carve in many types of stone; the most common is Spring Stone, Opal Stone and Fruit Serpentine, Cobalt Stone, and Verdite: a semi precious stone.
The Great Dyke in Zimbabwe is a 500-kilometre ridge of volcanic rock that divides the country from north to south, and is home to precious minerals like gold, silver, platinum and nickel.
Zimbabwe means "Great Stone House".
It's also the source of one of Zimbabwe's greatest artistic exports, the Shona stone sculptures. Named from the country's most dominant tribe, Shona is truly a Zimbabwean phenomenon. It is the only country on the African continent that has large enough deposits of stone suitable for sculpting.
The Shona Sculptor is inspired by the form, color and texture of the raw stone and use typically a hammer and chisel, and file to reveal the sculpture within. Next, they smooth the surface with wet sandpaper, then using a paraffin blowtorch or an open flame, apply a clear wax. Then buffed with a soft cloth to give it the shine and bring out the depth of color of the stone. Waxing also seals the stone which makes it suitable to display outdoors.