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Mineral Specimens with Gypsum
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5.8 x 3.8 x 3.8 cm. A fine specimen of selenite from Naica, with a water-clear, complete crystal that looks like a shard of glass perched on the dark contrasting matrix. The crystal is complete and doubly-terminated.
9.0 x 7.7 x 6.4 cm. Bright, cherry-red crystals of gypsum to 2.5 cm are colored by rich inclusions of the rare species botrygen, in this unusual specimen that is both historic and beautiful. Note how the best included areas show crystals, acicular needles, of botrygen shooting through the selenite. The little cavity with the major crystals is protected, and host also to freestanding botrygen crystals around the selenite terminations. Ex. Philadelphia Academy of Sciences Collection.
12.4 x 10.9 x 5.7 cm. An ornate burst of "porcupine" selenite from Australia, with delicate crystals spiking out all over its surface. What makes this specimen special, in addition to its remarkable appearance, is that while some species form crystals in thousands of years, these particular selenites form in a matter of only around 2 weeks. The pretty green color is probably from copper content.
12.6 x 8.2 x 0.9 cm. This is a large slice through a large specimen of selenite that has inclusions of copper inside it. You can clearly see, inside the very transparent selenite, penny-bright crystals of acicular copper in dendritic clusters. Ex. Consie Prince Collection.
Six centimeters thick, but so water-clear you can see fingerprints right through it! Though gypsum crystals are not uncommon, sharp, clear whoppers such as this are quite desirable, and just plain visually striking! It weighs about 4 pounds so it is not dinky by any stretch. 25 x 11.5 x 5.8 cm
12.4 x 8.0 x 4.7 cm. A large plate of spiky scalenohedral calcite crystals with a shimmering surface sheen, with water-clear blades of gypsum growing amongst them. The calcites have an unidentified coating that gives them a yellowish color. Ex. Stoudt Collection.
24.8 x 2.6 x 1.9 cm. A stunning, transparent "wand" of selenite from the world’s most famous selenite (gypsum) locality, Naica - where the legendary "Cave of Swords" is located, packed with huge selenite crystals. Some bruising, as almost all of these have (since they are extremely soft), but very sharp and water-clear. Ex. Consie Prince Collection.
15.3 x 10.8 x 3.4 cm. An old Tri-State specimen that is quite unusual: on a surface of deep red micro-sphalerites (a few of them larger, with one isolated crystal measuring 1 cm) are several snowy white crystals. These are very sharp crystals of calcite that have been wrapped in a snowy layer of gypsum - and the note from George Feist on the bottom of its base indicates he thought that pseudomorphism was going on. If you look closely, you can see the sharp faces of the calcite crystals where they show in places through the gypsum, so this may be a replacement caught in progress or simply a very thick (and unusual) coating. Ex. George Feist Collection.
18 x 14 x 13 cm. This selenite, from a new find at Naica, really stunned me. The crystals are huge and sharp, absolutely water clear, and the piece is just...dramatic. Weighing in at 5.7 pounds, this is a monster of a specimen and also of high quality. The piece is starkly 3-dimensional and it seems impossible it could have been mined underground and then safely shipped up here without damage but it is in fact pristine and complete all around. The doubly-terminated crystal on the right is 17 cm. These crystals are 5-6 cm thick and you can see right through them with no problems.
5.9 x 4.9 x 3.9 cm. These strange floater balls of selenite crystals formed in the clay beds of the Red River Floodway near the city of Winnipeg. This ball is covered with twinned crystals, with two of them having grown large and shooting out dramatically in a beautifully balanced way. They are very gemmy, and in pristine condition.
7.4 x 4.9 x 4.4 cm. An unusual and fine combination specimen from the less well-known Palomo Mine of Peru. A vug filling of water-clear gypsum is sandwiched between two, inward growing layers of diverging, radial sprays of scintillating, metallic stibnite needles. This is a really striking and rare combination piece. This is an old mine, currently being worked for specimens, but I have not seen another like this.
5.9 x 3.9 x 2.4 cm. The best halite specimens around generally come from Poland, and here, you have the interesting association of orangey blades of selenite that have grown up amongst them. Ex. Jaime Bird Collection.
6.4 x 5.4 x 3.0 cm. A porcupine of slender, orange crystals of selenite from Australia, in remarkable good condition considering its age and fragility - out of the Jaime Bird collection. The orangey color comes from inclusions of hematite. The crystals measure to 2 cm.
An extremely showy specimen featuring a sharp, water-clear, pristine, lustrous selenite crystal dramatically rising vertically from its matrix. The water-clear nature of the crystal is amazing. This Spanish locality, Roden, is now defunct and these are seldom available in such quality. Al would have bought this one at the peak of the area's productivity. Sadly, I haven't seen one this good for sale in several years as they dried up on the market so quickly. 5.5 x 4.9 x 4.5 cm
11.5 x 5.0 x 1.9 cm. A very fine, rich and showy specimen of bright, micro-dendritic copper in a sawed, transparent cabinet gypsum cleavage from the Mission Mine of Arizona. Old and very choice material. Ex. Mullane Collection.
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Rob Lavinsky, rob@irocks.com
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share specimen![Gypsum (Var: Selenite) from Naica, Mun. de Saucillo, Chihuahua, Mexico [db_pics/mdpics/MD-195223a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-195223a.jpg)
![Botryogen, Gypsum (Var: Selenite) from Sierra Gorda District, Tocopilla Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile [db_pics/mdpics/MD-199664a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-199664a.jpg)
![Botryogen, Gypsum (Var: Selenite) from Sierra Gorda District, Tocopilla Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile [db_pics/mdpics/MD-199664b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-199664b.jpg)
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![Copper, Gypsum (Var: Selenite) from Mission Mine (Mission underground mine), Mission complex, San Xavier, Pima District (Olive District; Mineral Hill District; Twin Buttes District), Sierrita Mts, Pima Co., Arizona, [db_pics/mdpics/MD-203924a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-203924a.jpg)
![Copper, Gypsum (Var: Selenite) from Mission Mine (Mission underground mine), Mission complex, San Xavier, Pima District (Olive District; Mineral Hill District; Twin Buttes District), Sierrita Mts, Pima Co., Arizona, [db_pics/mdpics/MD-203924b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-203924b.jpg)
![Gypsum from Naica, Mun. de Saucillo, Chihuahua, Mexico [db_pics/mdpics/MD-20443a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-20443a.jpg)
![Calcite, Gypsum from Santa Eulalia District, Mun. de Aquiles Serdán, Chihuahua, Mexico [db_pics/mdpics/MD-206351a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-206351a.jpg)
![Calcite, Gypsum from Santa Eulalia District, Mun. de Aquiles Serdán, Chihuahua, Mexico [db_pics/mdpics/MD-206351b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-206351b.jpg)
![Gypsum (Var: Selenite) from Naica, Mun. de Saucillo, Chihuahua, Mexico [db_pics/mdpics/MD-209779a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-209779a.jpg)
![Gypsum, Calcite, Sphalerite from Joplin Field, Tri-State District, Jasper Co., Missouri, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-209858a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-209858a.jpg)
![Gypsum, Calcite, Sphalerite from Joplin Field, Tri-State District, Jasper Co., Missouri, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-209858b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-209858b.jpg)
![Gypsum (Var: Selenite) from Naica, Mun. de Saucillo, Chihuahua, Mexico [db_pics/mdpics/MD-209991a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-209991a.jpg)
![Gypsum (Var: Selenite) from Red River Floodway, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada [db_pics/mdpics/MD-213197a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-213197a.jpg)
![Stibnite, Gypsum from Palomo Mine, Castrovirreyna Province, Huancavelica Department, Peru [db_pics/mdpics/MD-216039a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-216039a.jpg)
![Stibnite, Gypsum from Palomo Mine, Castrovirreyna Province, Huancavelica Department, Peru [db_pics/mdpics/MD-216039b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-216039b.jpg)
![Halite, Gypsum (Var: Selenite) from Inowrocław, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Poland [db_pics/mdpics/MD-216511a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-216511a.jpg)
![Halite, Gypsum (Var: Selenite) from Inowrocław, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Poland [db_pics/mdpics/MD-216511b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-216511b.jpg)
![Gypsum (Var: Selenite) from Chinkapook Lake, Swan Hill, Victoria, Australia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-217533a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-217533a.jpg)
![Gypsum, Gypsum (Var: Selenite) from Zaragoza, Aragón, Spain [db_pics/mdpics/MD-21996a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-21996a.jpg)
![Copper, Gypsum from Mission Mine (Mission underground mine), Mission complex, San Xavier, Pima District (Olive District; Mineral Hill District; Twin Buttes District), Sierrita Mts, Pima Co., Arizona, [db_pics/mdpics/MD-222317a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-222317a.jpg)
![Copper, Gypsum from Mission Mine (Mission underground mine), Mission complex, San Xavier, Pima District (Olive District; Mineral Hill District; Twin Buttes District), Sierrita Mts, Pima Co., Arizona, [db_pics/mdpics/MD-222317b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-222317b.jpg)