Cornish Serpentine Vase

This Cornish serpentine vase was made with a beautiful stone found in the southern part of Cornwall, which polishes to a finish similar to the deep sheen of marble.
Initially, Cornish  serpentine was used in block form to build houses and farms, but local people used it to carve decorative objects as well. Little by little, these objects were introduced in the markets and Cornish serpentine vases, flower stands, and other such items started to be manufactured commercially.
In a visit to the area, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert discovered the beauty of these objects, boosting their recognition when they ordered several serpentine items for their Osborne House residence.
This superb and rare Victorian green Cornish serpentine vase was accidentally broken. The different pieces were joined together using polyester as an adhesive, but there were minute fragments that were lost. On these parts a filling putty was necessary. To replicate the characteristic translucency of the stone, the filling was made using polyester as well, but in this case small portions of different pigments were added to replicate the stone colors. After that it was also necessary to level the areas filled, wrapping up the work by polishing to a high gloss finish.