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Argillite carving is perhaps the most exclusive surviving forms of Pacific Northwest Coast native arts. Argillite is a stone that is only found in one isolated valley on the Queen Charlotte Islands off the coast of British Columbia. The entire supply of this unique slate stone belongs to the Haida nation and only Haida carvers are permitted to carve it. The types of pieces that are carved include: jewelry, totem poles, boxes, plates and sculpture. One word of caution: recently manufacturers have started producing a material that looks like argillite, but is in fact a faux (fake) argillite. Be sure to ask before you buy it, and also be mindful of the price. If it is too inexpensive to be true, it probably is not true argillite.
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