Seraphinite
Seraphinite is a dark green to grey mineral with gorgeous chatoyancy due to fibres under the surface.
Seraphinite is almost always sold polished or carved, to show off the gorgeous feathery chatoyancy.
It is only found in one location, around the Lake Baikal and Irkutsk region of Siberia, Russia.
Appearance, Uses and History
Seraphinite is a trade name for a variation of clinochlore and is a member of the Chlorite group.
Inclusions of Mica inside the stone cause silvery-white feathery growths, with some limited chatoyancy. These feathery growths sometimes give the impression of feathered wings.
It is named after the Seraph, the highest class of biblical Angels.
Seraphinite is almost always sold polished, whether it is cut en cabochon, carved, or tumble polished. However, it is worth noting that Seraphinite is an extremely sold stone, and any jewellery made with it should be designed to protect the stone as much as possible.
Locales
Seraphinite is only found in the Irkutsk region of Siberia, in Russia.
Mineralogy
Hazards and Warnings
Almost all rocks, minerals (and, frankly, almost all other substances on earth) can produce toxic dust when cutting, which can cause serious respiratory conditions including silicosis.
When cutting or polishing rocks, minerals, shells, etc, all work should be done wet to minimise the dust, and a suitable respirator or extraction system should be used.
Translations
Arabic:
Hindi:
Portuguese:
- serafinita
Bengali:
Indonesian:
- serafinit
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English:
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French:
- séraphinite
Japanese:
- セラフィナイト
Spanish:
- serafinita
German:
- Seraphinit
Korean:
- 세라피 나이트
Thai:
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