A stone guide

Garnierite

Q: What is often mistaken for garnierite?

Moonstone (real). True moonstone is feldspar with a rolling adularescent glow; garnierite has flat waxy color, no glow.

Garnierite is mined by the megaton as nickel ore, your stainless steel spoon likely contains atoms from rock like this.

Nickel-bearing serpentine-clay mixtureMadagascarSee treatment disclosure

Garnierite is nickel-bearing serpentine-clay mixture, ((Ni,Mg)₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄ mixtures). In the hand, it rates 2 to 4 on the Mohs scale, and it runs apple green and mint. Apple-green waxy stone swirled with white, soft, lightweight, and sold misleadingly as 'green moonstone' despite zero feldspar sheen.

The closest match we carry

Love Garnierite? Meet Serpentine.

Garnierite is not something we carry. Serpentine is the closest match in our collection, and every product page names its origin and grade.

4 products in stock · from $2.50 4.9 out of 5 from 1,000+ reviewsSee every piece →

Serpentine Raw Stones

A Grade | 1–2″

JUNÍN, PERU

HEALING◇EMOTIONAL HEALING◇MEDITATION

From $2.50 per piece★★★★★ 5.0 (2)

Serpentine Hand Polished Stones

AA Grade | 0.75–1.50″

JUNÍN, PERU

HEALING◇EMOTIONAL HEALING◇MEDITATION

From $8 per piece★★★★★ 5.0 (2)

Serpentine Crystal Mushroom

A Grade | 5.80″ H x 4.33″ Dia

MASHONALAND CENTRAL, ZIMBABWE

HEALING◇GROUNDING◇PROTECTION

$62

Serpentine Crystal Mushroom

A Grade | 7.04″ H x 3.40″ Dia

MASHONALAND CENTRAL, ZIMBABWE

HEALING◇GROUNDING◇PROTECTION

$58

4.9 out of 5from 1,000+ reviews
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Family

Nickel-bearing serpentine-clay mixture

Mohs

2 to 4

System

(cryptocrystalline mixture)

Luster

Waxy to greasy

Gravity

2.3 to 2.8

Light

Opaque

What it is

The geology.

Garnierite carries the formula ((Ni,Mg)₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄ mixtures). It has no single crystal system (cryptocrystalline mixture). Catalogs list it as nickel-bearing serpentine-clay mixture.

It sits at 2 to 4 on the Mohs scale. The surface reads waxy to greasy. Light behavior is opaque. Specific gravity runs 2.3 to 2.8. The streak is pale green-white. It breaks with uneven, slightly crumbly fracture.

Apple-green waxy stone swirled with white, soft, lightweight, and sold misleadingly as 'green moonstone' despite zero feldspar sheen.

It reaches buyers as tumbled, palm stones, spheres or raw lumps.

Where it comes from

The origins.

Nickel laterites: New Caledonia (the classic ore), Madagascar (source of most tumbles), Indonesia, Oregon (USA).

On value, the database notes: common and affordable.

What people work with it for

Traditional associations.

In energy work traditions, sold under the 'green moonstone' banner with new-beginnings themes, honest sellers call it nickel serpentine.

We keep this section because people ask. It sits below the geology on purpose, and none of it describes something the stone does.

What to look for

Spotting the real thing.

Apple-green waxy stone swirled with white, soft, lightweight, and sold misleadingly as 'green moonstone' despite zero feldspar sheen.

The mislabel IS the issue: 'green moonstone' is garnierite nearly every time, no glow, no moonstone.

Looks like	How to tell them apart
Moonstone (real)	True moonstone is feldspar with a rolling adularescent glow; garnierite has flat waxy color, no glow
Serpentine	Close cousin, garnierite is essentially nickel-rich serpentine; the nickel green is brighter mint
Chrysoprase	Chrysoprase is glass-hard translucent chalcedony; garnierite is soft and opaque

Check it yourself

At-home tests.

Before anyone talks you into a lab report, these are the checks worth doing yourself on garnierite.

Test	What you should see
Scratch check	Knife scratches it easily
By eye	No adularescent sheen whatsoever
By eye	Light in hand; waxy feel

Stop short of anything that leaves a mark. A gemologist can answer the rest without damaging the stone.

How to live with it

Care & handling.

At 2 to 4 on the Mohs scale this is a soft material. Keep it as a display piece, store it apart from harder stones, and skip daily-wear settings.

It breaks with uneven, slightly crumbly fracture, which is worth knowing before you set it or drop it.

Skip the ultrasonic. Lukewarm water, mild soap and a soft cloth handle routine cleaning without risk.

Safe handling

Nickel-bearing, harmless polished, but wash hands after handling raw crumbly material and skip elixirs.

Pairs well with.

No crystal structure either

Darwin Glass

For the serious reader

A deeper look.

Extended detail on composition, sourcing, authentication and market value.

The physical record

The formula on record is ((Ni,Mg)₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄ mixtures). Crystal system: not applicable (cryptocrystalline mixture). Specific gravity: 2.3 to 2.8. Streak: Pale green-white. Cleavage and fracture: Uneven, slightly crumbly fracture.

How it reaches the market

Nickel laterites: New Caledonia (the classic ore), Madagascar (source of most tumbles), Indonesia, Oregon (USA).

What it gets confused with

Moonstone (real): True moonstone is feldspar with a rolling adularescent glow; garnierite has flat waxy color, no glow. Serpentine: Close cousin, garnierite is essentially nickel-rich serpentine; the nickel green is brighter mint. Chrysoprase: Chrysoprase is glass-hard translucent chalcedony; garnierite is soft and opaque.

What it is worth

Common and affordable.

Where buyers get caught

The mislabel IS the issue: 'green moonstone' is garnierite nearly every time, no glow, no moonstone.

One more thing

Garnierite is mined by the megaton as nickel ore, your stainless steel spoon likely contains atoms from rock like this.

From the Beyond Bohemian library

An education-first guide.

We publish this guide from our research and years of experience with crystals, so you can understand this stone wherever you find it.

Explore the Crystal Guide

Garnierite

Love Garnierite? Meet Serpentine.

The geology.

The origins.

Traditional associations.

Spotting the real thing.

At-home tests.

Care & handling.

Pairs well with.

A deeper look.

The physical record

How it reaches the market

What it gets confused with

What it is worth

Where buyers get caught

One more thing

An education-first guide.

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Garnierite

The geology.

The origins.

Traditional associations.

Spotting the real thing.

At-home tests.

Care & handling.

Pairs well with.

A deeper look.

The physical record

How it reaches the market

What it gets confused with

What it is worth

Where buyers get caught

One more thing

An education-first guide.

Most items are one of one or come in limited batches. See them, and the stories behind them, before anyone else.