Serpentine has been widely used since ancient times with high transparency and toughness. It is one of the four famous jades in China.
Serpentine is abundant and widely distributed. The primary mineral aggregate of this massive serpentine is serpentine, and the secondary minerals are calcite, chlorite, tremolite, diopside, talc, chromite, etc.
The proportion of mineral composition is different depending on the origin, and the appearance is different. There are many different jade names depending on the origin.
For example, “Bowenite” is produced in South Korea, New Zealand, or Afghanistan, “Xiayan Jade” is produced in Xiayan County, Liaoning Province, China, “Kunlun Jade” is produced in Xinjiang, and Jiuquan Jade is produced in Gansu, etc.
Serpentine is affected by its constituent minerals, and its hardness ranges from 2.5 to 6. Bowenite is relatively solid, with a hardness of 5.
Serpentine varies in color from colorless, light yellow, and yellow-green to green, sometimes with black spots or veins, which is very similar to the appearance of nephrite.
Serpentine is often considered as nephrite in the past, but the hardness and refractive index of nephrite are both high, and they are different minerals.
In addition to being a gem material, serpentine is one of the fluxes for steelmaking because of its high magnesium content.
Characteristics of serpentine
Serpentine is a translucent to opaque green mineral with diversified features and different chemical compositions. It is basically composed of magnesium-containing silicate minerals. Its refractive index is 1.560~1.570, relative density is 2.5~2.8, hardness is 2-6, and the range is large.
Because of the significant differences in symbiotic minerals, the same serpentine will have different hardness in different parts due to the number of symbiotic minerals.
Generally, the green part has high hardness. Serpentine as a gem usually is green. Serpentine gemstones are often used as substitutes for jade in China.
Basic Property of Serpentine
Color: green, yellow, gray, white
Hardness: 2~3.5
Cleavage: complete cleavage
Chemical formula: Mg6Si4O (OH) 8
Crystallization system: Antigorite (monoclinic system), chrysolite (orthorhombic system), Lizardite(triclinic system)
Main origin: China, New Zealand, Afghanistan, South Africa, Mexico, the United States, Greece, India, the United Kingdom, and Austria.
Serpentine Energy form
Serpentinite belongs to monoclinic system, but it also contains minerals of orthorhombic system and triclinic system. Its energy is very variable and will change with our energy change.
The energy of Serpentinite will not appear immediately after entering the body. It will change into support according to our needs.
You may feel that your strength has increased, But it is often after wearing serpentine for a while.
Serpentine can help us connect with the earth, feel the power of the earth in our life, improve our observation and concentration, feel the earth’s changes and adjust our life and power.
Serpentine is a gem that can implement stable energy. It is said that it is helpful to the exploration of loneliness and spirituality. According to some theories, it can purify chakras, stimulate crown chakras, develop supernatural abilities, and help people understand the spiritual basis of life.
Moreover, it also helps to regain internal wisdom and memories of the past. In psychology, serpentine is said to help people get more feelings in the process of experiencing life, correct mental and emotional disorders, and consciously lead the therapeutic energy to the crux of the problem for treatment.
It is believed that serpentine has excellent purification and detoxification effects on the body and blood. It is said that it can also make people live longer.
Serpentine can eliminate parasites, treat hypoglycemia and diabetes, and also help the body absorb calcium and magnesium.
Light green serpentine healing property
Light green serpentine is a natural gentle gem, which is said to be able to keep in touch with the guidance of heaven, shuttle between the past, the present and the future, and integrate them.
Therefore, some people say that it is the best gem to explore the past; it can cure the imbalance of past life and get rid of the emotional package in past interpersonal relationships. Putting it at the throat will help people to talk about the past and solve the problems left behind and hindering real life.
It is said that holding a light green serpentine can guide people into the healing world of intermediate life state.
In addition, it can enhance compassion and understanding for oneself and others, making social meetings smooth and peaceful, thus helping people treat all people in life kindly.
It also helps relieve pain, especially for menstrual pain and muscle injuries.
How to use serpentine
People can use the serpentine to calm their hearts. If they feel that they are constantly losing their boundaries in daily life and are easily exhausted, they can wear the serpentine to help themselves.
For people who often need to care about others or feel exhausted because they love someone, the serpentine can also help them replenish energy and return to their center.
When to use serpentine
- Need support from the earth force
- Feel lonely inside
- When major decisions cannot be made
- Feeling immature
How to Clean serpentine
Purification mode
√: Fragrance, smoke, crystal hole, sound
×:Sea salt, sunlight, and flowing water may cause crystal damage or surface roughness.
The carver determines the price of serpentine.
Generally speaking, the price of serpentine itself is not high, and the excellent diamond carving technology is the main factor determining the price.
The most common color of serpentine is yellowish green to green, and there are also white, brown or black serpentines. The jewelry industry calls serpentine jade as pumping jade or gorge rock jade.
In addition, it has a commercial name of “Korean Jade”, because the apple green serpentine is similar to jadeite in appearance and is often used as a substitute for jadeite.
How to choose serpentine?
Serpentine is seldom cut into faceted gemstones, mainly because of its low hardness and easy wear, and its luster is lost. It is mostly used for carving and is also ground into beads or egg surfaces to make ornaments.
Although green serpentine can be used as a substitute for jadeite, due to its low hardness, its luster after carving or cutting is worse than that of jadeite, and it is also easier to show scratches due to wear, which can distinguish the difference between the two.
In addition, the relative density can also distinguish the two. The jadeite will sink in the diiodomethane solution, while the serpentine will float because of its light relative density.
The higher the transparency of serpentine, the better. When choosing serpentine, it is better to choose the one with dark green color and high transparency.
In addition, the carving of serpentine carving is an essential factor affecting its value. The serpentine with exquisite carving and good polishing is the best decoration.
The hardness of black serpentine stone is low, so pay attention to avoid scratches and cracks caused by collision. Serpentine is named because its texture is similar to that of snakeskin, its hardness is low, and its output is high.
Therefore, the most frequently encountered material for sculptors is serpentine, which often coexists with calcite. Therefore, the same serpentine has a different hardness in different parts.
When sculptors carve serpentine, they must master different hardness characteristics to carve perfect works. Although serpentine is not often made into jewelry, due to the moderate hardness of serpentine, it can better represent fine and perfect carving art. Many works carved from serpentine have become the favorite of sculpture collectors.
Conclusion:
The name of serpentine comes from the Latin word “serpentinus”, which means “like a snake”, because its skin is like the pattern of a scale snake, with light green and black in dark green, which is complex and beautiful.
There is also a beautiful variety of serpentine – “hard green serpentine”, which is as attractive as jade.
In ancient times, serpentine itself was a fearsome mineral. In ancient times, people were very afraid of snakes. Their venom can kill people.
When people find such minerals, they must be surprised and pleased. Later, shamans (witches or witch doctors) took the serpentine as the avatar of snakes to cast spells or cure diseases.
The serpentine can also be used as an amulet, similar to fighting poison to keep evil forces away.
Archaeologists can find the burial ornaments made of serpentine in the tomb relics in ancient Rome and Europe because snakes represent the emissary of the mother of the earth in ancient civilization, which can help the dead embark on the journey of rebirth smoothly.