Verdite

Verdite is found at many places in South Africa, eSwatini (formerly Swaziland) and Zimbabwe. The original material was found in 1907 on the south bank of the Noord Kaap River near Barberton in South Africa, where it occurs in narrow bands in the Jamestown rocks, sometimes intergrown with gray talc or with hard corundum-bearing rock. Some verdite, notably from Zimbabwe, contains red ruby (corundum) crystals.

Verdite is soft (about 3 to 4) and has a refractive index near 1.58 and a density of about 2.80 to 2.96; it does not fluoresce under ultraviolet light. Buddstone, a green chalcedony colored by fuchsite that often occurs with verdite, has a hardness of about 7, so a hardness test separates them. Verdite is also confused with green aventurine quartzite, dyed quartzite and chalcedony, and with jadeite and nephrite; some vendors sell it under the misnomer "African jade", but it is not jade.

The people of South Africa have used verdite for generations, and it is often considered part of their culture; its softness and even texture make it a favored stone for small sculptures, and some carvers work the red ruby inclusions into their designs. Polished verdite has also been used for interior moldings and wall facing, including in the Bank of England and South Africa House in London. It is sometimes called "Africa's green gold".