Serpentine with Pyrite (Peruvian Jade) BULBS

The mineral serpentine or clino chrysotile is a magnesium iron silicate with the chemical formula (Mg, Fe) 3Si2O5 (OH) 4. It belongs to the phyllosilicates. The amorphous mineral can be red, yellow, white and green. The green color is typical of the mineral in the mantle rock serpentinite. The hardness is 2.5 to 4, depending on the composition, and serpentine has an average density of 2.59. One of these types falls under asbestos. Inhalation of this species is harmful to health. The mineral serpentine, like the rock serpentinite, is named after the Latin word serpens, which means "snake". The shape in which the minerals have grown in the rock is reminiscent of the shape of a snake. It was also used in the past as a medicine for snake bites. The other name for serpentinite, clinochrysotile, is derived from the Greek words clinos, chrysos and tilos ("crooked, crooked", "gold" and "fiber", respectively). It is so named because of the gold-colored fibrous structure that the mineral can adopt. Serpentine is an indicative mineral for serpentinite, a peridotite that is often converted by hydrothermal activity. Under the influence of pressure and temperature, the olivine and pyroxene from the mantle rock have been converted into serpentine. This is called serpentization. The chemical reaction equation is: 4Mg2SiO4 (olivine) + 4H2O (1) + 2CO2 (aq) → Mg6Si4O10 (OH) 8 (serpentine) + 2MgCO3 (magnesite) Serpentine is therefore a mineral that is found in those areas where mantle rock adheres to the surface, usually in orogens. Serpentine is exposed on a large scale in Greece and in the Alps.