Serpentine

A group of green magnesium silicates formed when mantle rocks react with water. Smooth, greasy and often mottled like snakeskin.

Serpentine specimen — Photo: Tiia Monto, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to identify serpentine

Mottled green, often with darker streaks.
Greasy or waxy feel when polished.
Usually scratched by a knife.

Often confused with

Jadeite
Jade is much harder and tougher.
Compare side by side
Nephrite
Nephrite can't be scratched by a knife.
Compare side by side

Where it's found

California
Liaoning, China
Pakistan
Afghanistan

Uses

Carving stone, decorative facing and jade imitations.

Rock tumbling

Can be tumbled with care.

Did you know?

Much of the inexpensive 'new jade' sold in markets is actually serpentine.

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

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