 thumb|serpentine thumb|dish of serpentine with inlaid gold fish, 1st century bce or ce, with 9th century mounts  the serpentine group are greenish, brownish, or spotted minerals commonly found in serpentinite rocks. they are used as a source of magnesium and asbestos, and as a decorative stone.serpentine, american heritage dictionary the name is thought to come from the greenish color being that of a serpent.serpentine, encyclopedia britannica, 1911, s:1911 encyclopÃ¦dia britannica/serpentine (mineral) the serpentine group describes a group of common rock-forming hydrous magnesium iron phyllosilicate ((, )3) minerals; they may contain minor amounts of other elements including chromium, manganese, cobalt or nickel. in mineralogy and gemology, serpentine may refer to any of 20 varieties belonging to the serpentine group. owing to admixture, these varieties are not always easy to individualize, and distinctions are not usually made. there are three important mineral polymorphs of serpentine: antigorite, chrysotile and lizardite. the chrysotile group of minerals are polymorphous, meaning that they have the same chemical formulae, but the molecules are arranged into different structures, or crystal lattices.minerals.net, serpentine,  chrysotile with a fiberous habit is one type of asbestos. other minerals in the chrysotile group may have a platy habit. many types of serpentine have been used for jewellery and hardstone carving, sometimes under the name false jade or teton jade.national park servicehunter, sir william wilson and burn, sir richard, the imperial gazeteer of india, vol. 3, oxford, england: clarendon press, henry frowde publishers (1907), p. 242 ==overview== their olive green color and smooth or scaly appearance is the basis of the name from the latin serpentinus, meaning "serpent rock," according to best (2003). they have their origins in metamorphic alterations of peridotite and pyroxene. serpentines may also pseudomorphously replace other magnesium silicates. alterations may be incomplete, causing physical properties of serpentines to vary widely. where they form a significant part of the land surface, the soil is unusually hi
Iron_minerals Magnesium_minerals Serpentine_group Symbols_of_California