Chrysotile mineral. Chrysotile is an asbestiform (fibrous) variety of the silicate mineral serpentine. Like all asbestos minerals, chrysotile forms strong, flexible fibres that are highly heat resistant, which can be woven into insulating fabrics and materials. The mining of asbestos minerals has declined following the discovery of their link with a fatal lung condition, now known as asbestosis. This sample measures 45 millimetres across.