{"product_id":"serpentine-english-italian-hand","title":"Minerals - Serpentine - English Italian Hand","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eSerpentine is not a single mineral, but the collective category of a common group of stone composed of a variety of complex minerals. The Serpentine group share common traits: opaque to translucent green coloration with a splotchy and veined appearance, and a silky to waxy luster. It's this green coloration and waxy finish from which the stone gets its name. Because of its attractive colorations Serpentine has been a popular over the centuries for everything from jewelry where it carves and polishes well, to architecture, where it is used like green marble. It doesn't weather well, so is usually restricted to indoor use. Often found near Jade, unsuspecting collectors can mistake Serpentine for Jade; in fact, Serpentine is sometimes called False Jade. Jade polishes to a harder, clear, glassy finish while Serpentine retains a waxy luster even when highly polished. Serpentine is the official State rock of California, and because of its abundance Serpentine is a common source of asbestos and magnesium for commercial applications.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis calligraphic style is a rarely used form of Italian Hand where the entire hand is done in reversed shading, a technique usually applied only to capital letters. Due to its difficult legibility this hand was reserved for ornamental uses, such as single words or brief titling. The style was was popular with English Writing Masters in the latter part of the 1600s for signing their names to their works. The hand's ribbon-like appearance seemed a natural choice for a piece bearing the name Serpentine; and the wavy underscore flourish lends the appearance of the slithering tracks of a snake.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e~2017, Don Marsh~\u003cbr\u003e©2017 Don Marsh\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Don Marsh","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42418472255582,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0640\/7828\/2846\/files\/Serpentine__2017_Don_Marsh_7182e194-428b-4d07-9e06-47213bff9d69.jpg?v=1769218688","url":"https:\/\/donmarsharchive.com\/products\/serpentine-english-italian-hand","provider":"Don Marsh","version":"1.0","type":"link"}