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.

Keywords

serpentinite, ornamental rock, architecture