Gemstone tree — Yoga garden · Padmasana pose · Green aventurine · Leaning tree

A soft, opaque green, scattered with flecks that sparkle as you turn the stone — the effect known as aventurescence.

A tree assembled wire by wire, leaf after leaf, from natural stone chips; the branches are shaped and spread by hand.

In tradition. Long called the "stone of opportunity", tradition links it to luck and to the impulse to begin again. It is credited with a calming influence on the heart chakra.

The motif. The lotus posture, legs crossed and feet on the thighs, is the classic seated position for meditation.

What is in it. Yoga garden · Padmasana pose · Green aventurine · Leaning tree — the assembly and the spread of the chips are done by hand.

Use & care. The branches can be gently repositioned to the balance you want — that is intended, and it is what makes each tree end up resembling whoever set it. Dust with a soft brush or compressed air, never with a cloth, which catches on the wires.

• Its glints come from inclusions of fuchsite, a green chromium mica, scattered through the quartz.
• A natural piece: shade, veining and dimensions vary from one example to the next

A decorative object for personal practice. It is no substitute for medical advice or treatment.