Types of Stone

Chlorite - (H 2.0 - 3.0)
This term is often used to distinguish a group of similar minerals, but is often treated as one mineral. Most often in shades of green to black, but can be found in other colors. Due to its common occurrence with Talc and its relative softness is sometimes classified as soapstone.

Soapstone -
Most commonly used to describe a stone that is predominately composed of talc, from which its slippery feel it got its name. As a generic term has sometimes been used to include stones that are often geologically related to talc (eg. Chlorite, Serpentine) and occasionally is applied to stones that are not related to talc at all. Another stone that is sometimes grouped in this classification is the mineral pyrophyllite (also known as Wonderstone), which has similar chemical composition and appearance, and is usually slightly harder than Talc.

Serpentine -
Relatively common, usually classified as a group of related minerals in the Hydrous Magnesium Iron Silicate family (similar to Talc and Chlorite) and can have a hardness ranging from 2.5 to 4.0. Usually colored green with shades of white, yellow and black. Is commonly sold as polished slabs and tile under the name Verde Antique Marble.

Description of Iron wood (Olea Capensis)

Also known as: Ysterhout (Afrikaans); Black Ironwood, East African Olive, Elgon Olive, Ironwood, Ironwood Olive (English); Loliondo, Mushargi (Swahili); Loliondo, Mutharage, Mutharagi, Olive (Trade name).

Native to: Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Sao Tome et Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Description:

Woods that sink in water are called "ironwoods." There are more than one hundred species of trees and shrubs in the world with the common name of "Ironwood." As their common name suggests, the wood of these species is very hard and heavy. Olea Capensis has dark brown heartwood and is attractively figured, fine-grained, hard and heavy and although it is difficult to work it is widely used by African artists.