Chrysotile is the most common form of serpentine asbestos, characterized by its flexible, silky, and fibrous structure. It typically forms in veins within metamorphosed ultramafic rocks and is highly prized by collectors for its unique physical habit despite the inherent health risks.
Is this chrysotile?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch chrysotile with a known reference. Chrysotile sits at Mohs 2.5, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: white.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: silky.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: white, green, gray, yellow.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: monoclinic. Typical habit: acicular.
Often confused with
Chrysotile vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Tremolite is the harder of the two (Mohs 5-6 vs. 2.5); luster reads silky on Chrysotile and vitreous on Tremolite.
How to tell apart: Actinolite is the harder of the two (Mohs 5-6 vs. 2.5); luster reads silky on Chrysotile and vitreous, silky on Actinolite.
How to tell apart: Luster reads silky on Chrysotile and resinous, greasy, silky, waxy, earthy on Antigorite.
Often found alongside chrysotile
Minerals reported to co-occur with chrysotile. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Mg₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄
- Mohs hardness
- 2.5
- Density
- 2.53 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Silky
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Crystal habit
- Acicular
- Cleavage
- Perfect in one direction
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Collector, Industrial (historical)
- Host rock
- Clinochrysotile, orthochrysotile, and parachrysotile are now polytypes of chrysotile
Where rockhounds find chrysotile
3 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Quebec, Canada
- Asbest, Russia
- Balangero, Italy
- Globe, Arizona, USA
Field-hunting tip
Where it forms: Clinochrysotile, orthochrysotile, and parachrysotile are now polytypes of chrysotile. If you start seeing magnetite, dolomite, magnesite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: acicular. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Maryland, North Carolina, Wisconsin. Start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find chrysotile on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
