Serpentine subgroup
![Serpentine](/Images/godic/202502/10/SerpentineUSGOV3523.jpg")
![Dish of serpentine with inlaid gold fish, 1st century BCE or CE, with 9th century mounts](/Images/godic/202502/10/Serpentine_paten_Louvre_MR4153524.jpg")
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![Necklace and earring set made from semiprecious stones. The spherical green beads are Russian serpentine. Also used are jasper (red) and fluorite (blue).](/Images/godic/202502/10/Jasper_earrings_and_necklace3524.jpg")
The serpentine subgroup (part of the kaolinite-serpentine group) are greenish, brownish, or spotted minerals commonly found in serpentinite rocks. They are used as a source of magnesium and asbestos, and as a decorative stone. The name is thought to come from the greenish color being that of a serpent.