# Seraphinite - Page: https://taslar.bumba.tr/en/stones/seraphinite/ - Turkish: Serafinit - Also known as: Silver plume seraphinite (strongly feathered pieces) - Kind: Variety - Classification: Minerals › Silicates › Phyllosilicates - Chemical formula: (Mg,Fe)₃(Si,Al)₄O₁₀(OH)₂·(Mg,Fe)₃(OH)₆ - Crystal system: Monoclinic - Hardness (Mohs): 2–2.5 - Specific gravity: 2.6–3.3 g/cm³ - Lustre: Pearly, Greasy, Vitreous (glassy), Dull - Transparency: Transparent, Translucent, Opaque - Colours: dark green, greyish green, silvery feather-like patterns - Streak: White to greenish white - Cleavage: Perfect on {001}; the laminae are flexible but not elastic - Fracture: Uneven - Value ladder: 5/9 step, Ornamental stone A dark green, compact form of clinochlore from the chlorite group: an ornamental stone whose polished surface shows silvery “angel-wing” patterns that play in the light. Seraphinite is the trade name for a compact, massive form of the mineral clinochlore, a member of the chlorite group. Its dark green to greyish green background carries silvery, feather-like patterns that flash as the stone is turned. It is named after the winged seraphim of the Bible, whose feathers these patterns are said to resemble. Its only known source is the Korshunovskoye iron deposit in Eastern Siberia. Because it is very soft, it is mostly made into cabochons, pendants and small carvings. ## How does it form? Clinochlore is one of the most common members of the chlorite group. It usually forms as a secondary mineral when dark minerals such as biotite, hornblende, pyroxene or garnet are altered by hot fluids, and it is very common in rocks transformed at low and moderate temperatures. Korshunovskoye, the only known source of seraphinite, is a **skarn** iron deposit near the Ilim River in Eastern Siberia. A skarn is a rock that forms when hot magma and the fluids it releases react with carbonate rocks such as limestone, so that new minerals grow in it. The iron deposits of this kind in the Angara and Ilim river basins are linked to the vast Siberian basalt plateau (the Siberian Traps), which formed about 250 million years ago at the Permian–Triassic boundary. In these deposits, after abundant magnetite (iron oxide) formed, the rocks were heavily altered to chlorite and serpentine; seraphinite is a special form of the clinochlore produced by that alteration. ## What is it used for? - **Jewellery:** Its dark green background and silvery pattern make it a cabochon stone; because it is soft, it is mostly set in pendants and earrings that are not exposed to knocks. - **Carving and ornaments:** Its compact, soft texture makes it easy to carve into small ornaments and carvings. - **Collecting:** Well-patterned polished slices and spheres are worked as collector’s and display pieces. ## Why “angel wings”? What stands out about seraphinite are the silvery patterns that appear on a polished surface. They look like feathers or wings and brighten and fade as the stone is turned towards the light. Because of this play of light, the stone was named “seraphinite”, after the seraphim, the winged angels of the Bible. The pattern is different in every piece: in some it is fine and sparse, in others dense feathers cover the whole surface. ## How to recognise it - Silvery, feather- or wing-shaped patterns sit on a dark green background; as the stone is turned, the bright areas shift (this cat’s-eye-like play of light is called chatoyancy). - It is very soft (Mohs 2–2.5): a steel knife scratches it easily, and even a fingernail can leave a mark. - It splits very easily in one direction (cleavage), so a knock can make it flake or break. - A polished surface has a lustre between pearly and greasy, and it looks opaque. ## What determines its value? Pattern matters most: dense, sharp silvery feathers that flash strongly against a dark green background are the most sought after. Freedom from cracks and a good polish also count, since such a soft stone scratches and flakes easily. Although it comes from a single known deposit, its softness limits its use in everyday jewellery, so it is mainly worked as an ornamental stone for cabochons, pendants and collector’s slices. This information is educational, not buying, selling or investment advice. Value varies enormously with quality and treatment. ## Myths and misconceptions - Myth: Seraphinite is a mineral species of its own. Fact: Seraphinite is not a mineral name but a trade name. It is given to a compact, massive, feather-patterned form of clinochlore, a member of the chlorite group. - Myth: Seraphinite used in place of nephrite (jade) is as tough as jade. Fact: Seraphinite is sometimes used as a substitute for nephrite, but it is far softer: nephrite has a hardness of about 6, seraphinite only 2–2.5. It therefore scratches easily and can flake if knocked. ## Curious questions **Where does the name seraphinite come from?** The name comes from the seraphim, angels described in the Bible as having six wings. The silvery patterns on the stone, which glint in the light, were likened to feathers and wings. ## Did you know? - The name “seraphinite” only came into use after the Second World War, and the stone’s use in jewellery dates from the second half of the 20th century. - In some pieces the feather patterns are so striking that sellers use names such as “silver plume” seraphinite for them. - Zheleznogorsk-Ilimsky, the town near the deposit, was once called Korshunikha, after the prospector Shestak Korshunov who found the area’s iron deposits in the 17th century. ## Where is it found? - Korshunovskoye iron deposit, Zheleznogorsk-Ilimsky, Irkutsk Oblast, Russia (Major deposit): The only known source of seraphinite: an iron skarn deposit in Eastern Siberia ## Sources - [Seraphinite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seraphinite), Wikipedia - [Chlorite group (Clinochlore)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinochlore), Wikipedia - [Клинохлор (Clinochlore; seraphinite)](https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%85%D0%BB%D0%BE%D1%80), Wikipedia (ru) - [Seraph](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seraph), Wikipedia - [Zheleznogorsk-Ilimsky](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zheleznogorsk-Ilimsky), Wikipedia - [Seraphinite](https://minerals.net/variety/seraphinite), Minerals.net - [Clinochlore Value, Price, and Jewelry Information](https://www.gemsociety.org/article/clinochlore/), International Gem Society - [Iron oxide copper-gold and related mineralisation of the Siberian Craton, Russia. Part I: Iron oxide deposits in the Angara and Ilim River basins, south-eastern Siberia (S. G. Soloviev), in Hydrothermal Iron Oxide Copper-Gold and Related Deposits: A Global Perspective, vol. 4](https://portergeo.com.au/feoxbook/Abstract135.asp), PGC Publishing, 2010 Source: https://taslar.bumba.tr/en/stones/seraphinite/ · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0