Blue Halite Crystal
 |
| Blue Halite Crystal. Photo credit: Spirifer Minerals |
Well formed crystal of transparent, rare blue halite from new find.
Blue Halite, also known as blue rock salt, is an extremely rare variety of crystallized sodium chloride. It usually occurs in a cubic form but has also been found as masses, grains, and tiny shards. The galactic color spectrum Blue Halite offers is due to minor impurities of potassium within the salt’s chemical composition.
The largest deposit of Blue Halite is located in Saskatchewan, Canada, formed during the evaporation of a large ocean that existed around 400 million years ago. Other important localities include deposits in the southern United States, Pakistan, Germany, Spain, Iran, Romania, and the United Kingdom.
The largest deposit of Blue Halite is located in Saskatchewan, Canada, formed during the evaporation of a large ocean that existed around 400 million years ago. Other important localities include deposits in the southern United States, Pakistan, Germany, Spain, Iran, Romania, and the United Kingdom.
Luster: Vitreous
Chemical Composition: NaCl
Cleavage: Perfect, three directions cubic
Specific gravity: 2.17
Fracture: Conchoidal
Crystal system: Cubic/Isometric
Mohs scale hardness: 2.0–2.5
The specimen in the photo From: Intrepid Potash East Mine, Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA.
.jpg)
