6.3" Free-Standing Polished Noble Serpentine - Washington

Noble serpentine is an incredibly unique type of a serpentine-calcite blend, which is rich in magnesium and aluminum. It comes in a variety of colors and patterns and is best known for its light green color. Noble serpentine is found in the magnesite belt of Northeast Washington State. It comes from the Wild Turkey Mine and is a calcium rich magnesium aluminum silicate. The white material within the serpentine is chrysotile or white asbestos, which is not hazardous because the fibers are encapsulated in silica.

Serpentine is a silicate mineral that is usually shades of green and black. This is a stone that belongs in any rock collection, not just because of its beauty and pleasing feel but this is a rock with a history. Serpentine is one of many minerals formed at subduction plate boundaries where one plate is being pushed underneath another. With the friction of the plates grinding on each other and the heat of the underlying mantle, the subducting plate gradually melts. In the process it gets mixed with sea water and basaltic seafloor is transformed into magnetite, chrysoprase, chromite, jade, and of course serpentine!