n.
Fibrous variety of the magnesium silicate mineral serpentine ; it is the most important asbestos mineral.
Individual fibres are white and silky, but the aggregate in veins is usually green or yellowish. Chrysotile fibres have a high tensile strength, similar to that of other asbestos minerals (see amphibole asbestos ). The largest deposits of chrysotile are in Quebec and in the Ural Mountains.