Serpentine

Serpentine is safe to handle except in powder form. If you plan to cut or polish serpentine, it's advisable to wear a dust mask to avoid inhaling any dust. Asbestos fibers are hazardous when inhaled, as they can lead to serious lung disease.

Serpentine possesses poor toughness due to its brittle nature, leading to potential chipping or fracturing upon impact from daily use.

Serpentine's sensitivity to prolonged exposure to water/sunlight and heat, along with potential damage from chemicals, makes it sensitive for daily use.

Serpentinite is a rock composed of one or more serpentine group minerals, the name originating from the similarity of the texture of the rock to that of the skin of a snake. Minerals in this group, which are rich in magnesium and water, light to dark green, greasy looking and slippery feeling, are formed by serpentinization, a hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle. The mineral alteration is particularly important at the sea floor at tectonic plate boundaries.

Known as a "Snake stone" (in Latin "serpent" means "snake"), serpentine was thought to cure snakebite and protect against the snake's venom. According to legends and lores, serpentine was commonly used to carve out chalices for kings. It was believed that drinking medicine from a serpentine chalice would increase the effectiveness of a medicine.

Serpentinization is a geological low-temperature metamorphic process involving heat and water in which low-silica mafic and ultramafic rocks are oxidized (anaerobic oxidation of Fe²⁺ by the protons of water leading to the formation of H₂) and hydrolyzed with water into serpentinite. Peridotite, including dunite, at and near the seafloor and in mountain belts is converted to serpentine, brucite, magnetite, and other minerals – some rare, such as awaruite (Ni₃Fe), and even native iron. In the process large amounts of water are absorbed into the rock increasing the volume, reducing the density and destroying the structure.

Serpentinite is a rock composed of one or more serpentine group minerals, the name originating from the similarity of the texture of the rock to that of the skin of a snake.

Serpentine's supposed strong connection with Mother Earth may strengthen your bonds with the environment around you - try meditating outside with this stone. Serpentine isn't believed to work with just one chakra; it aligns them all, creating coherence and calm throughout the body. It is, however, believed to have a particular connection with the crown chakra, enhancing wisdom and retrieving lost memories.