In California, serpentine is our official State Stone. We have many deposites. In San Francisco, the San Francisco Mint building is built upon a huge mound of outcropping serpentine. (Photo attacvhed.) Just a few years ago, I collected serpentine rocks at the top of Twin Peaks—because they were a nice variegated green color.

Serpentine is quite variable, as noted in this dialogue—and is a common bead material. It ranges from yellow, to greenish-yellow. yellowish green, bright or true greens, grayish green, bluish, brown, and black. And probably rare unexpected colors—and color combinations.

Serpentine is also closely related to other important stones, exploited for beads, that are easily confused with serpentine—including jades, garnets, peridotes, and charmaksud (the State Stone for Afghanistan—that is routinely substituted in the bead trade by serpentine of similar colors).

Jamey