About
Fibrous Chrysotile, a type of asbestos, should never be brought near the mouth. If its fibers or particles enter the lungs, they can cause asbestosis. Asbestosis is a lung disease caused by inhalation of asbestos particles, which causes several cancers, particularly lung cancer and mesothelioma. Symptoms of asbestosis do not arise until about 20 years after the inhalation. Due to the hazards, washing hands after handling specimens is highly recommended. Many mineral collectors avoid collecting asbestos minerals out of safety concerns.
Crystal Forms & Aggregates
Orthochrysotile and Parachrysotile crystallize in the orthorhombic crystal system.
Lizardite crystallizes in the hexagonal crystal system.
Amesite crystallizes in the triclinic crystal system.
Serpentine aggregates include massive, platy, fibrous (forming tough, flexible and elastic fibers), botryoidal, columnar, earthy, platy, micaceous, in pyramidal groupings, in parallel bladed groups, and as fibrous veins. Fibrous veins may be straight, but are more often in curved, angled veins. Some fibrous forms are extremely soft and flexible and resemble wool. Serpentine also pseudomorphs after many minerals, where it form in the same crystal shape as the pseudomorphed mineral.
Other ID Marks
2) Yellow Serpentine often fluoresces a cream-white color in shortwave ultraviolet light.
Striking Features
Environment
Varieties
✓ common · ✗ uncommon
- Asbestos— Asbestos describes any mineral that is extremely fibrous and flexible. The term is very commonly used to describe the fibrous form of Chrysotile Serpentine, and may also be used in regards to the fibrous variety of Tremolite or Actinolite.
- Bowenite— Form of Serpentine that is massive shaped with densely packed fibers. It is usually greenish in color and is occasionally used as an ornamental stone.
- Deweylite— Chrysotile Serpentine containing small amounts of Stevensite or other Talc minerals. Deweylite is occasionally polished and used a gemstone.
- Garnierite— Name describing a small group of green Serpentine minerals rich in nickel. It is also used as definition for a rock containing nickel-rich Serpentine, associated with Talc, Chllorite, and other soft minerals. May also be used a synonym for Nepouite.
- Picrolite— Describes Antigorite Serpentine that occurs in a columnar habit.
- Serpentinite— Describes a rock composed almost fully of Serpentine minerals, but contains small amounts of pyroxene and amphibole minerals, as well as Olivine, Magnetite, Calcite, and Dolomite.
- Verde Antique— Verde Antique is dark green rock composed of Serpentine, and often containing Calcite veins running through it. It is used as a decorative stone, and is sometimes wrongly considered a marble.
- Williamsite— A translucent, green form of Serpentine which is sometimes polished as an ornamental stone. It is also used a minor gemstone.
- Bastite— Pseudomorph of Serpentine after Enstatite.
- Marmolite— Describes Antigorite Serpentine composed of small, shiny micaceous plates.
- Retinalite— Describes Antigorite Serpentine with a waxy luster, and usually with a yellowish color.
Uses
Antigorite, as well as Serpentinite and Verd Antique, are sculpted into ornamental carvings. They are soft and easy to work with, and create exceptional art. They are used as animal carvings, book ends, and the like. Verd Antique is also used as an ornamental green marble replacement, and is used as countertops, sculptures, plaques, and tiling. The varieties Deweylite and Williamsite are occasionally used as minor gemstones, being polished as cabochons or beads. The gemstone color is green or yellow green, and is usually mottled. Serpentine gemstones resemble Jade, but are softer and inexpensive.
Noteworthy Localities
In the U.S., large amounts of Serpentine come from Fresno, Calaveras, San Benito, Mariposa, and Toulumne Cos., California; and Gila Co., Arizona. East Coast localities include Montville, Morris Co., New Jersey; Hoboken, Hudson Co., New Jersey; Antwerp, Gouverneur, and Balmat; St. Lawrence Co., New York; and Staten Island (Richmond Co.), New York. In the old Tilly Foster Mine, Brewster, Putnam Co., New York, many minerals were replaced by Serpentine, resulting in the Serpentine having very interesting crystal forms. The Wood's Chrome Mine in Texas, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania is a classic mine famous for both its Williamsite and a rare purple form of Antigorite that came from there. Other important occurrences are the Cedar Hill Quarry, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania (especially the Picrolite variety); Easton, Northampton Co., Pennsylvania; and the Belvidere Mountain Quarries (Eden Mills), Orleans/Lamoille Counties, Vermont.
Below is a locality list for individual Serpentine members:
Amesite is found in Chester, Hampden Co., Massachussetts. It also occurs in Dufek massif, in the Pensacola Mountains, Antarctica; and is especially noted in Sarany in the Ural Mountains, Russia, for a rare purple variety. Cronstedtite is found in Salsigne, France; the Brunita Mine, La Union, Spain; Pribam, Bohemia, Czech Republic; and the Herja Mine, Baia Mare, Romania. It also occurs in Wheal Maudin and Wheal Jane, Cornwall, England; Congonhas de Campo, Minas Gerais, Brazil; and in Llallagua, Bolivia. Fraipontite is found in Challacollo, Chile; Vielle-Montague, Belgium and in the Silver Bell mine, Gleeson, Cochise Co., Arizona. It is often an alteration product of Smithsonite. Nepouite is found in the Nepoui Mine in New Caledonia. It is also found in the 132 North nickel mine, Widgiemooltha, Western Australia; in Letovice, Czech Republic; in Callenberg, Saxony, Germany; and in the Wood's Chrome Mine, Texas, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Nepouite is an important ore of nickel. It is often called Garnierite, but that is not its proper scientific name.
Common Mineral Associations
Distinguishing Similar Minerals
Chlorite - Softer (2 - 2½).
Tremolite and Actinolite Asbestos - Harder (5 - 6), less flexible.
Nephrite - Harder, less greasy.