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Hand-turned banded stone bowl
Green and honey-banded stone from the hills of Balochistan, turned by hand.
$20–80
Find Pakistani onyx on Amazon ↗1 more place to buy ↓If you buy through this link we may earn a small commission. It never changes your price.
The story
Balochistan is rich in onyx marble, a banded stone in shades of green, honey and cream that glows when light passes through it. Much of it is cut and turned into bowls, vases, lamps and chess sets.
Every piece is different. The bands running through the stone are laid down over thousands of years, and a turner decides how to cut the block so they show best.
In pictures
Photos coming soon. Each frame below says what it will show.
History
Onyx carving is an established trade in Pakistan, with workshops in Balochistan and in larger cities that buy stone from the province.
How it’s made
Blocks are sawn into rough shapes.
The shape is turned and hollowed.
Finer and finer abrasives bring out the shine and the bands.
Some pieces get a protective wax.
Kinds
The classic dried-fruit bowl.
Lit from inside to show the bands.
Chess sets, eggs, vases and coasters.
In Pakistan
Onyx bowls hold dried fruit on Pakistani coffee tables, and onyx lamps sit in guest rooms.
Buy it well
| Genuine | Likely a copy |
|---|---|
| Cold and heavy | Light and warm to the touch |
| Translucent against light | Opaque |
| Natural, irregular banding | Repeating, printed-looking bands |
Where to buy
We may earn a small commission. Your price is the same.
Find Pakistani onyx on Amazon ↗Typical price: $20–80, before shipping. Read the “Buy it well” checks above before you order, and ask the seller for photos of the exact piece.
Questions
Fine for dry food like nuts and dried fruit. Avoid acidic or wet foods.
Good sellers pack it in thick foam. Ask how they pack it before you order.
Keep exploring
Long pine nuts, roasted in the shell
Winter’s most prized snack, from the pine forests of the Suleiman mountains.
Hand-painted metal kettle
The painting on Pakistan’s trucks, shrunk to fit a kitchen shelf.
Block-printed cotton shawl
Indigo and madder, stamped by hand on both sides of the cloth.
Lacquered, lathe-turned wood
Wood turned on a lathe and coloured by friction, in bands of red, yellow and green.
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