Asbestos has many industrial uses despite some health risks and is made of different minerals all with a fibrous habit. Serpentine and tremolite asbestos are considered the better varieties due to their greater flexibility and tensile strength, but anthophyllite asbestos has its uses such as in refractory cements. Although individual well formed crystals of anthophyllite are very rare, some aggregate specimens of anthophyllite are striking and can make nice collection pieces. One variety found at Butte, Montana even displays a nice blue schiller effect. Luster is vitreous to dull or silky in fibrous forms.
Crystals are translucent to opaque.
Crystal Habits include prismatic often aggregated crystals and fibrous, asbestos-like masses. Fracture is easy and splintery. Hardness is 5.5 - 6. Streak is gray. Weakly pleochroic and a blue schiller effect is seen in some specimens from Butte, Montana.