4.1" Red-Orange Selenite Crystal Cluster - Mexico

Selenite is a variety of gypsum, a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate (CaSO4 · H2O). When chemically pure, gypsum is transparent and colorless, but impurities give the gypsum a diverse range of colors and formations. Desert rose selenite and satin spar are just a few of the varieties of gypsum known to have formed though hydrothermal processes.

Selenite that comes out of the Naica Mine in Chihuahua, Mexico is known for is beauty in clarity and size. The caverns from where the crystals are extracted were discovered by miners drilling for lead, zinc and silver. Freshly drained of water, the caves revealed MASSIVE selenite crystals that stretched from the floor to the ceiling, including younger crystals of all sizes. However, the hydrothermal fluids, high temperature, and humidity in the caverns have limited removal and exploration in many of these mines.