presentation :

Often confused with jade despite its much lower hardness 2.5 to 4 for Serpentine compared to 6.5 to 7 for Jade and Jadeite.

Names) :

• Serpentine => Antigorite: Bowenite, Williamsite and Orthochrysotile and Clinochrysotile and Lizardite / Connemara marble: Asbestos.

Etymology:

• Serpentine: From the Latin serpens = snake (French, 1753) | Antigorite: According to the locality of Antigorio (Italy) (Schweitzer, 1840) | Chrysotile: From the Greek khrusos = gold and tilos = fibers (Kobell 1834) and prefix Ortho or Clino depending on the crystal system. | Lizardite: From the locality of Lizard (England). | Bowenite: According to GT Bowen. | Williamsite: According to LW Williams who first discovered this variety of Antigorite.

Group, Family:

• Kaolinite-Serpentines Group | 4 Minerals with a similar formula but different properties (Antigorite, Orthochrysotile, Clinochrysotile, Lizardite) and their varieties (Bowenite, Williamsite).

Color :

• White, Grey, Yellowish-yellow, Translucent Apple Green (Williamsite), Light Green to Dark Green-Bluish Green (Bowenite), Magenta to Magenta Red, Brown to Black (Asbestos Serpentine). Luster: Resinous, Bold, Pearly, Waxy, Earthy.

Origin :

• Switzerland , Austria, Norway, England, Russia, United States, Iran, Zimbabwe, South Africa, etc.

Crystal system:

• Many Polymorphs | Antigorite: Monoclinic | Clinochrysotile: Monoclinqiue | Orthochrysotile: Orthorhombic | Lizardite: Trigonal.

Chemical composition :

• Mg3Si2O5(OH)4 (General formula for Antigorite, Orthochrysotile, Clinochrysotile, Lizardite) | Color: Green (Williamsite): Chrome in Cr3+ form around chromite inclusions.

Transparency:

• Opaque to sometimes weakly Translucent or Transparent.

Density :

• 2.4 to 2.62 in the gemstone range | 2.58 to 2.62 for Bowenite (variety of Antigorite).

Hardness :

• Generally 2, 3, For Bowenite (antigorite variety): 4, 5 to 6.

Cleavage:

• Good in one direction, Fibrous.

Breakage:

• Conchoidal, splintering, etc.

Line color:

• White.

Shock resistance:

• Good to Fragile.

Heat resistance:

• Very good.

Varieties of Serpentine:

• There are several varieties of Serpentine. Some can be as toxic as asbestos but rest assured, these are not used in lithotherapy. The others, on the other hand, are, despite some differences in characteristics, quite identical in terms of their intrinsic virtues.
• There is Chytah Serpentine, Lemon Serpentine, Silver Eye Serpentine, Healerite which is a noble Serpentine, Jade Serpentine and many others.

Properties and virtues:

Physical virtues:

• Soothes migraines and nervousness.
• Helps with relaxation.
• Relieves menstrual muscle cramps and pain.
• Helps regulate milk production in breastfeeding women.
• Helps regulate hypoglycemia and diabetes.
• Helps balance calcium and magnesium levels.
• Improves, among other things, the fixation of calcium in the body.
• Protects against parasitic infections.
• Helps regenerate cells.
• Helps cure heart and lung problems.
• Strengthens the pancreas as well as the glandular system.
• Stimulates the cardiac system, kidneys, lungs and nervous system.
• Detoxifies the body and blood.

Psychological and mental virtues:

• Helps to understand dreams.
• Balances moods.
• Calms and soothes anxiety.
• Strengthens our ability to let go and surrender.
• Useful for overcoming relationship problems.

Spiritual virtues:

• Purifies the astral body and helps astral travel.
• Protects against negative influences and physical attacks.
• Develops mediumistic gifts.
• Guides us during meditation.
• Purifies the chakras and works in particular with the coronal.
• Helps us remember our past lives.

Chakra:

• It acts very well on the crown chakra which it activates but also on the root chakra in order to anchor us well during meditations. Very useful also on the third eye chakra for the reminder of past lives but also in apposition on the other chakras for the purification of these or even to resolve and resolve physical problems. In short, it is the stone not to be missed and to have in your bag  :)

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