Rocksday

Chrysotile

Fibrous serpentine — the most common form of asbestos. Hazardous if its fibers are inhaled.

Chrysotile specimen
Photo: Eurico Zimbres, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

How to identify chrysotile

  • Silky fibers in veins, running across the vein.
  • Fibers can be teased apart like thread.
  • Inside green serpentine rock.

Often confused with

Where it's found

  • Thetford Mines, Quebec
  • Asbest, Russia
  • Arizona

Uses

Formerly insulation and fireproofing; now banned in many countries.

Rock tumbling

Not suitable for tumbling. Don't break, sand or tumble it — the fibers are a health hazard.

Did you know?

A Quebec town was literally named Asbestos until it renamed itself Val-des-Sources in 2020.

Think you could spot it from a blurry close-up?

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