Candlelight (Arrowtown)

Magnesite has the appearance of white marble or porcelain with a sub-vitreous lustre. It is opaque and white or grey with grey, black or dark brown veins running through it. When cut or carved and then polished, it features a dark thread of veins or a web-like matrix across its surface. Magnesite forms when magnesium-rich rocks such as serpentine or dolomite are exposed to carbon dioxide-rich water. Magnesite is highly prized by sculptors as it is very scarce.