Seraphinite is only found in a very small number of locations worldwide. The vast majority of natural seraphinite comes from just two main sources – Lake Baikal in Siberia, and South Africa.
Lake Baikal, located in southern Siberia, contains one of the world's largest freshwater reserves. This ancient lake formed 25-30 million years ago in a rift zone, resulting in very deep water (over 5000 feet at its deepest point). At the bottom of Lake Baikal, metamorphic processes led to the formation of seraphinite. For centuries, local people dove into the icy waters to retrieve stones from the lake bottom.
The seraphinite found in Lake Baikal exhibits delicate feathery and leafy patterns in shades of green, set against a silvery white matrix. Fine chatoyant bands radiate across cabochons cut from Baikal seraphinite. This stone is sometimes referred to as Baikal seraphinite or Baikal green marble.
In more recent times, the Russian government banned diving in Lake Baikal to preserve the pristine lake environment. As a result, natural Baikal seraphinite is now extremely scarce. Any Baikal seraphinite available today comes from old mine stock. When Russian mining ceased, so did the supply of natural Lake Baikal seraphinite.
The other major source of natural seraphinite comes from South Africa. South African seraphinite formed through a different process – hydrothermal alterations of chromium and nickel deposits. This seraphinite displays richer forest green hues than the translucent greens of Baikal seraphinite.
South African seraphinite occurs mainly near the eastern coast and extends into KwaZulu-Natal up to the borders of Swaziland. The major deposits are located along the Bushveld Igneous Complex. The seraphinite is extracted from secondary alluvial deposits along rivers, rather than through large-scale mining efforts.
Unlike Lake Baikal, South Africa continues to produce new seraphinite, although gem-quality material is uncommon. Fine seraphinite from South Africa exhibits chatoyance similar to the Baikal variety. Delicate shimmering silver and grey patterns complement deep green seraphinite from South Africa.
A few other small deposits of seraphinite have been found in limited locations. In Russia, occasional findings of seraphinite have been made in the Urals region. Small amounts of seraphinite have also emerged from eastern Kazakhstan. Some seraphinite has been identified on the islands of Taiwan and Japan as well. However, these sporadic sources produce only tiny quantities of gem material.
For all intents and purposes, Lake Baikal and South Africa remain the sole major sources of seraphinite worldwide. The unique geological conditions that formed this stone are found in few locations. As supplies from Lake Baikal have been exhausted, South Africa now produces the majority of seraphinite on the market. This unusual green gemstone remains a true rarity – a treasure from just a handful of very specific spots scattered across the globe.
