serpentine
necklace with pendant of pearls, red garnet, & carved serpentine
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| composition | magnesium hydroxysilicate |
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| name source | from the Latin serpens, meaning "snake" (referring to the greasy, waxy color streaked skin pattern) |
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| other accepted names | precious serpentine, bpwenite, williamsite |
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| historical aliases | the 'poor man�s jade'; Korean jade, New Zealand jade, Suzhou jade, Styrian jade, and New jade -- all thought to be misleading |
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| color | olive green, yellow or golden, brown, or black |
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| significant sources | England (Cornwall, "The Lizard"); Italy (Piedmont, Antigorio Valley); Cyprus (Mount Olympus) and many other countries |
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| MOH scale | 3 - 4.5 |
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| care and treatment | Serpentine's relative softness means it must be treated with care and it can chip or break if knocked sharply against a harder substance. Wash in warm soapy (non-detergent) water. |
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