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Seraphinite is a trade name for a particular form of clinochlore, a member of the chlorite group. There are only two gem-quality minerals in the chlorite group, and seraphinite is one of them. It is a lovely dark green stone that changes sparkle and light as you view it from different positions; seraphinite has a silvery and feathery shimmer caused by mica inclusions.

Due to its softness, seraphinite is mainly a collector's stone, there is a common opinion that seraphinite can be used only as a mineral specimen. It's not true; seraphinite looks great in jewelry especially cut into cabochons. This material can keep polishing quite well, and it is not as fragile as it seems. When polished, seraphinite displays a pearly, vitreous luster.

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The name "seraphinite" is derived from the Seraphim (angels of the highest order) because of the feather-like appearance of the chatoyant fibers in the stone. The romantic name and the association of seraphinite with angels has gained seraphinite a reputation as a healing gem, good for nerves and brain cells; seraphinite is used to establish connections to the angelic realm.

The only source of seraphinite is the "Korshunovskaya" mine in the Lake Baikal region in Eastern Siberia, Russia. This gemstone was found and described by the famous Russian mineralogist Nikolai Koksharov (1818 - 1892) who used to be the director of the Russian Imperial Mineralogical Society.