Born into the chaotic depths of the earth's crust, serpentine is an iridescent fragile beauty. When hot, water-rich fluids circulate through basic rocks (with low silica contents), it is called hydrothermal alteration. That process is at the source of serpentine. "Serp'" results from an extremely complex geological process which distorts, wrinkles and even breaks the rocks, allowing for additionnal minerals to jump in the mix. Some theories link serpentine with the birth of life on earth. It is found in the deep-sea trenches as well as on Mars. Sometimes also called "fake jade", it is a metamorphic rock.