Employment of serpentinite rock in architecture

Abstract

The serpentinite rock is formed by minerals of the serpentine group, such as antigorite and lizardite, and can be found in several countries around the world. It has several commercial applications, among them its use as an ornamental rock. It can be found in numerous constructions, such as churches, houses and buildings. However, trade names are adopted for ornamental rocks, making it difficult to identify and confirm the existence of the specific rock in buildings. Using bibliographical research, the present work aims to study the use of serpentinite as an ornamental rock, identifying its first applications in the world and presenting commercial names adopted for this rock, allowing a better understanding of the relevance of this rock in world architecture. More than sixty commercial names of serpentinites used as ornamental rocks, in different applications, throughout different civilizations, were found.