The first stone Kenneth Steven began collecting in childhood was serpentine from the beaches of the island of Iona. Here he tells the story of the search for the finest gems.

It was Kenneth's mother who’d taught him to search for serpentine. She explained to him the difference between these waxy, much softer pebbles and stones made of marble. Those are duller; they don’t polish the same, and once out of water they have a drabness about them. You can tell a piece of serpentine because as soon as it’s absorbed the oils from your hand it’s polished, glimmering.

Presenter Kenneth Steven

A Whistledown Scotland production