Serpentine var. Picrolite

Item Description

Picrolite is the columnar or coarsely fibrous (non-asbestiform) variety of serpentine, commonly referred to as a variety of antigorite but may be other species (MINDAT). Striking silky luster on this sculptural large specimen of unusually colorful, silvery-green, fibrous picrolite from this abandoned Maryland serpentine quarry. It is fibrous, but quite firm. Ex George Loud Collection Nos. 481 D10 MD.1 and 657, a well-known Washington, DC and South Carolina mineral collector. See: https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/george-loud for more information on George. George was gifted the piece in about 1989. We recently acquired most of his impressive over 9000 piece collection. A very fine and colorful large example of the species from the uncommon locale.