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El-Gavish
Three polished olive-green atlantisite stones with purple veins and patches, on white fabric

Atlantisite

A natural mix of green serpentine and purple stichtite, from a single hill in Tasmania.

Atlantisite is not a single mineral but a mix of two: green serpentine as the base, and lilac to purple stichtite, which runs through it in patches and veins. According to Crystal Vaults, it also contains a little chromite and magnetite.

Atlantisite is a trade name, not a scientific one. According to Crystal Vaults, it was coined by Gerald Pauley of an Australian company in Melbourne, because the stone reminded him of the legendary Atlantis. What Atlantis thinks of this is unknown.

Stichtite was discovered in 1910 on the west coast of Tasmania and named after Robert Carl Sticht, the manager of the local mine. It is a carbonate mineral containing chromium and magnesium, and it forms as an alteration product of chromite-bearing serpentine.

The main commercial source is Stichtite Hill, near the Dundas Extended Mine east of Zeehan in Tasmania. According to Crystal Vaults, atlantisite is found nowhere else.

The name serpentine comes from the Latin serpentinus, "snake-like", after its greenish color and smooth or scaly look. It forms when olivine-rich rocks are altered by water. Both minerals are fairly soft, and stichtite has a hardness of only 1.5 to 2, so keep the stone away from keys and harder stones.

Crystal traditions

In crystal tradition

Modern crystal websites describe atlantisite as a stone of compassion, peace, empathy and grounding. According to The Crystal Council, it combines "the earthly powers of Serpentine" with the loving energy of stichtite, and links the heart and crown chakras.

Both websites link it to all seven chakras.

Sources: Atlantisite Healing Properties, Meanings, and Uses, Crystal Vaults; Atlantisite Meanings and Crystal Properties, The Crystal Council

Scientific information

Properties

Stichtite: Mg₆Cr₂CO₃(OH)₁₆·4H₂O, a carbonate mineral. Mohs hardness: 1.5 to 2. Crystal system: trigonal. Luster: waxy to resinous.

Serpentine: a group of sheet silicate minerals, X₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄, where X is mostly magnesium or iron. Mohs hardness: 2.5 to 6, depending on the type.

Formation: stichtite forms as an alteration product of chromite-bearing serpentine. Serpentine forms when olivine-rich rocks are altered by water (serpentinization).

Sources: Stichtite, Wikipedia; Serpentine subgroup, Wikipedia

Associations

Different traditions associate this stone with different things, and they sometimes conflict. Each association is shown with its tradition and sources.

Sources

  1. Stichtite, WikipediaAccessed September 24, 2026
  2. Serpentine subgroup, WikipediaAccessed September 24, 2026
  3. סרפנטין, ויקיפדיהAccessed September 24, 2026
  4. Atlantisite Healing Properties, Meanings, and Uses, Crystal VaultsAccessed September 24, 2026
  5. Atlantisite Meanings and Crystal Properties, The Crystal CouncilAccessed September 24, 2026

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