About Serpentine
the Ready Rubbed Serpentine Co. was formed in a field adjacent to another
field in about July 2002, now i fill my rucksack up with stone and carry the
wood on my shoulder.
The trouble is i keep falling backwards and sideways...or simply sliding straight
down the cliff....
Serpentine has been worked on the Lizard for many a long time.... and then i
came along and redefined the angle of the cutting edge.
Each piece is shaped by my hand, eyes and sometimes my foot. Collected from
hidden coves that even i can't find, taken to a secret field in the middle of
nowhere and then shaped with unpredictable aplomb giving each piece a unique uniqueness all of its own uniqueness.
Serpentine
Mg3 Si2 O5(OH)4. Hydrous Magnesium Silicate. Rock.
Commonly named because the patterns resemble that of a snake.
It is a chemically simple but structurally very complex.
The structural relationship among the different serpentines has never been fully determined.
It is formed below 500 degrees C in the presence of water vapour, from
metamorphic alteration of ultra-basic rocks containing olivines, amphiboles and Pyreneans.
The hardness of the stone is measured at 2.5 to 4.6. (Diamond being 10 )
Can also be found in other countries, notably: America, Canada, Germany,
Austria, South Africa, Egypt , Australia and new Zealand, USSR. so they say...
For further reading or more indepth information, go to...
Link
Mystical Properties: Considered an important gemstone to the Assyrians as early as 4000 B.C., used in Seals and Cylinders, Serpentine was known as "Za-tu-mush-gir".
The 30th Chapter of the Egyptian Book of the Dead is said to be carved from a tablet of Serpentine.
The Aztecs prized all green stones and Serpentine was known to be valued in their time.
Rasputin was said to favor Serpentine and requested an entire dinner set be created for him by the Czar and Czarina as a favor for saving the life of their son.
Sometimes considered the 2nd stone on the Breastplate of Aaron during the Exodus. Each of the 12 stones on the breastplate represented one of the 12 Tribes, in this case, Pitdah/Simeon and a banner flag flew in the tribe's camp of this color (light green).
Italian peasants believed that carrying Serpentine pebbles protected them from the venom of poisonous creatures. These pebbles must be in their natural state and untouched by iron, or they would lose their protective nature.
Legends also suggest that Serpentine worn around a nursing mother's neck, improves milk production.
Considered a gemstone of the 4th and 7th Chakras, Serpentine is thought to clear "cloudy" Chakras and help move the flow of energy through the Crown Chakra (7th) into the energy vortex of the body.
Sometimes considered a gemstone of Gemini.
The state stone of California.
Healing Properties: Serpentine is often mentioned in stress-reduction, and in helping rid the body of parasites and unhealthy microbes.
Scientific Properties: Composed of Magnesium Hydroxyl Silicate. Serpentine is a secondary mineral, created when water runs through magnesium silicates (hydrothermal). It often has a greasy appearance and is often found lubricating faults.
Mined in the Northeast United States and Quebec, California and Arizona.
Currently mined in Australia. Hardness variable (see individual stones above). Hardness 5 on the Moh's Hardness Scale.
Serpentine is most commonly green, though sometimes brown, black, or white. "Antigorite" refers to the darker green version. It sometimes displays a fibrous or greasy appearance. Sometimes called "Ophiolite" or "Williamsite".
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