Image 1 of 3
Image 2 of 3
Image 3 of 3
Serpentinite is a metamorphic rock composed of a group of minerals characterized by its coloration in different shades of green. The name originates from the similarity of the rock’s texture to a snake’s skin. It is a relatively soft mineral, with a Mohs hardness of 2 to 5.5.
The ancient ethnic people used this stone as a substitute for jade for making earrings and necklaces. The serpentine stone was believed to have the ability to ward off evil spirits and protect from bad energies and the evil eye.
Serpentinite comes in a huge variety of shades of green, from very yellowish tones of green to very dark greens. Peruvian Serpentinite often contains small amounts of Pyrite.
Jewelry-grade material consists of darker tones of green and pieces that show a mix of different shades of green with high contrast in order to provide a more interesting pattern. The more yellowish, uniformly colored part of Peruvian Serpentinite is discarded because it does not polish well.
Gemrock has developed the first objective Gemstone Quality Standard for Serpentinite, which helps you identify top-quality material and avoid overpriced, low-grade material. Read here
How to care for serpentinite?
To care for serpentine, clean it with a soft cloth, warm water, and a mild soap, avoiding abrasive cleaners and harsh chemicals like bleach, ammonia, or vinegar. Due to its softness and fragility, protect it from scratches by storing it separately in a soft cloth-lined box, and remove jewelry before strenuous activity.
Gemrock Serpentinite products are ethical crystals
Ethical Serpentinite refers to stones that are sourced in a way that respects workers, communities, and the environment.
Here is what we do to guarantee that our Serpentinite is ethical:
No illegal mining (therefore no child labor and no mining in protected or ecologically sensitive habitats): We are not buying Serpentinite from illegal mines. Legality of the raw material is guaranteed by payments via bank transfer, and after receiving an official invoice from the provider. Illegal miners would insist on cash payments only. By buying from legal mining operations only, we guarantee that no child labor is involved, as legal mining operations are supervised by the government and have to follow anti-child labor laws. Mining in protected areas or ecologically sensitive habitats is not allowed in Peru. By making sure we buy from legal mines, we therefore protect the environment.
No shadow-business mining: While mining concessions might be legal, they still can be shadow-business, not respecting workers’ rights, nor paying labor benefits, ignoring safety, and avoiding paying taxes. By not engaging in cash payments for our rough rock, we eliminate the opportunity for shadow business to occur. We do pay taxes whenever we buy rough rock and therefore do benefit Peruvian society in general by securing that the government has the funds for the services it provides.
No artisan shadow-business gemstone cutting: Crystal providers often promote their products as being sourced from local artisans, indicating that this would benefit local communities. Sadly, the contrary is true: In Peru, 100% of artisan lapidary workshops are shadow businesses. They get paid unreasonably low prices in cash. Artisan lapidary cutters do not work with legal labor contracts, have no health insurance, no retirement funds, no vacations, no maximum weekly labor hours, or any other labor benefits. Therefore, our Angelite gemstones are exclusively produced in-house. We are hiring our gem cutters under legal labor contracts, paying all legally required labor benefits, complying with safety laws, and providing our workers with quality gemstone cutting training and career options. We pay fair salaries that are higher than minimum salaries and get scaled upwards according to the level of training a cutter reaches. Our cutters get paid bonuses to meet quality targets and participate in the profits of the company.
We protect the environment: In Gemrock, we reduced water use in the lapidary process by over 90% by implementing water recycling measures. We recycle our garbage wherever possible. We have calculated the remaining carbon footprint of the products and engage in tree planting projects to neutralize our carbon footprint.
You cannot find the cabochon you are looking for, or you are looking for personalized professional cutting service?
Communicate directly with our cutting factory in Peru. We can help you with:
· Bulk lapidary cutting service
· Calibrated cabochon cutting
· Custom lapidary work and designer cabs from your material or our material