Guide to minerals: Selenite

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Jerrod Gallup (USA)

I got this selenite crystal at the first Pebble Pups meeting I attended. As a result, I researched this crystal and found lots of interesting facts, in particular, that it was very unique. This particular crystal was found in Oklahoma in 1970. In fact, you can go to Oklahoma and find selenite crystals on the salt plains there and the hourglass-shaped selenite crystals are only found at this location. It is also the Oklahoma State Crystal.

Fig. 1. Selenite crystal from Oklahoma.
Image by Jerrod Gallup, 2013.
Facts on file

Formula:
CaSO4 2H2O
Category: Sulphate mineral
Crystal system: Monoclinic
Mohs hardness scale: 2
Lustre: Pearly
Streak: White
Colour: Can be green, brownish, yellow, greenish, gray green or gray white
Selenite crystals are found in: Mexico and Oklahoma

Haiku

An orange crystal

Formed by nature’s loving hands

In the soft brown ground.

DSC_0018-001 Jerrod and Cousin Noah Paul.jpg
Fig. 2. The author, Jerrod Gallup, is on the left. His cousin, Noah Paul, is on the right. They are collecting rock and mineral specimens in one of the areas of Colorado that were recently burned in a fire.

Jerrod Gallup (age 9) is a third grader at Columbine Elementary School, Woodland Park, CO. He belongs to the Lake George Gem and Mineral Club.

Further reading

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenite_(mineral).

www.statesymbolsusa.org/Oklahoma/stateCrystalOklahoma.html.

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