Mineral group · Serpentine group
Serpentine
Mg3Si2O5(OH)4 (group)
Serpentine is the group of hydrated magnesium silicates (antigorite, lizardite, chrysotile) that forms by alteration of olivine; massive green serpentinite is carved and sold as 'new jade' or 'Connemara marble', and it is California's state rock. Antigorite and lizardite are safe massive minerals; chrysotile, the fibrous member, is white asbestos. Label the species where known.
| Formula | Mg3Si2O5(OH)4 (group) |
|---|---|
| IMA status | group |
| Crystal system | Monoclinic |
| Mohs hardness | 2.5–4 |
| Group | Serpentine group |
| Type locality | None |
| Streak | White |
| Specific gravity | 2.6 |
Handling and safety
Only chrysotile is asbestiform; massive serpentine is safe to handle but avoid grinding unidentified material.
Elsewhere
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Serpentine" (Mineral). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/minerals/serpentine. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-serpentine,
title = {Serpentine},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/minerals/serpentine}},
year = {2026},
note = {Mineral article, Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, wikidata, commons. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.