Is Anyone Familiar With The Mineral Sepiolite?

[C.Beattie]

It has many of the same properties as chrysotile, but does any one have any way to differentiate between the two? I found a few articles saying you can use malachite green stain when viewing under a PLM Microscope to see the difference, but any other options. I am new to posting here so not sure if this is the right place for me to be asking this. Thank you!

[Geologyhound]

From the manual of mineralogy (Klein and Hurlbut, 20th edition): “Sepiolite (meerschaum), a hydrous magnesium silicate, is a claylike, secondary mineral associated with serpentine. It is used in the manufacture of meerschaum pipes.”

Chrysotile: monoclinic, SG 2.5-6, H 4, index of refraction 1.55, Fibrous variety of serpentine; “white asbestos”

Sepiolite:  orthorhombic, SG 2.0, H 2-2.5, index of refraction 1.52, meerschaum

With a hardness 2.5 or less, you should be able to scratch sepiolite with your fingernail.  With a hardness of four, you should be able to scratch a copper penny (pre-1982) with chrysotile.

[C.Beattie]

Thank you! I wasn't aware of the hardness of this mineral, this should hopefully help me identify what I'm looking at.