Serpentine marble from Iona

When working on his mineralogical survey of the Duke of Argyll’s estate, Raspe rediscovered the medieval vein of marble that had been used on Iona. Although the two men’s plan to rework the quarry in 1790–92 was unsuccessful, it paved the way for successful working of Iona marble later in the 19th and 20th centuries. These sawn and polished specimens of marble from Iona and Tiree are found widely in geological collections across Europe. They were probably sent out by Raspe as a marketing exercise.