Serpentine is a group of common rock-forming hydrous magnesium iron phyllosilicate ((, )₃) minerals; it is also often rich in other metal ores, including chromium, manganese, cobalt and nickel. In mineralogy, serpentine may refer to any of 20 minerals belonging to the serpentine group. Owing to admixture, these minerals are not always easy to individualize, and distinctions are not usually made. There are three important aggregate structures of serpentine: antigorite, chrysotile and lizardite.

Overview

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Serpentine is said to owe its name either to its serpent-like colours and patterns or from an old belief that the stones were effective protection from snake bites. They have their origins in metamorphic alterations of peridotite, amphibolite 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 high in clay.

Soils derived from serpentine are toxic to many plants due to their high mineral content, and the flora is generally very distinctive, with specialised, slow-growing species. Areas of serpentine-derived soil will show as strips of shrubland and open, scattered small trees (often conifers) within otherwise forested areas.

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