THE MINERAL HALITE
- Chemistry: NaCl, Sodium Chloride
- Class: Halides
- Uses: Major source of salt and as mineral specimens.
Specimens
Halite is found in many current evaporative deposits such as near Salt Lake City, Utah and Searles Lake, California in the U.S., where it crystallizes out of evaporating brine lakes. It is also found in ancient bedrock all over the world where large extinct salt lakes and seas have evaporated millions of years ago, leaving thick deposits of salt behind. The cities of Cleveland and Detroit rest above huge halite deposits that are mined for road salt.
Perfectly formed cubes of halite are typical of the habit of this mineral. However it does form some unusual interesting habits that are much sought after by collectors. One habit is called a hopper crystal which forms what has been termed a skeleton of a crystal. Just the edges of a hopper crystal extend outward from the center of the crystal leaving hollow stairstep faces between these edges. Hopper crystals form due to the disparity of growth rates between the crystal edges and the crystal faces.
Another habit of interest is the vein filling fibrous habit found at Mulhouse, France and at some other localities. Often specimens are brightly colored purple and blue and with the silky luster due to the fibers, they represent a wonderful and a very uncharacteristic variety of halide. These specimens are a must have for teachers of mineral identification classes that want a stumper for those end of the session ID exams. Of course they are still easy to identify with the oft forgot simple taste test.
Well crystallized specimens of halite cubes can be very impressive and popular. Some are colored an attractive pastel pink by inclusions of bacterial debris that are trapped during crystallization in an evaporative lake. The pink color can fade with time and/or exposure to sunlight.
Often the specimens that are sold world wide in rock shops and in mineral shows were grown within the past year. In fact, the crystals form so fast and so well in some evaporative lakes that mineral dealers are using their imaginations to enhance their inventory. They are putting sticks, animal skulls and other imaginative items into these lakes and retrieving them a relatively short time later covered in clusters of white or pink halite cubes.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
- Color is clear or white but can be found blue, purple, pink, yellow and gray.
- Luster is vitreous.
- Transparency: Crystals are transparent to translucent.
- Crystal System is isometric; 4/m bar 3 2/m
- Crystal Habits are predominantly cubes and in massive sedimentary beds, but also granular, fibrous and compact. Some crystals show a crystal type called a hopper crystal discribed above.
- Cleavage is perfect in three directions forming cubes.
- Fracture is conchoidal.
- Hardness is 2
- Specific Gravity is 2.1+ (light)
- Streak is white.
- Associated Minerals include other evaporite deposit minerals such as several sulfates, halides and borates.
- Other Characteristics: Salty taste.
- Notable Occurrences include Searles Lake, California and Utah in the U.S., Germany, and Mulhouse, France.
- Best Field Indicators are taste, cleavage and crystal habit. Note that the similar halide sylvite (potassium chloride) has a distinctively bitter taste, and does not powder as easily with a knife blade.
 Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery MINERALS |
HALITE specimen hal-1
$ 35.00
$ 35.00
Dims: 5" x 4-1/4" x 2"
Wt: 14.2oz
Searles Lake, California, U.S.A.
This rock salt specimen is an excellent example of the "hopper crystal" form, one that Halite often inhabits. This piece comes with an added bonus: Bloedite, a sodium and magnesium sulfate mineral that forms a bright white crust of tiny crystals.
hal-1 ($ 35.00)
Searles Lake, California, U.S.A.
HALITE specimen hal-2
$ 45.00
$ 45.00
Dims: 4-3/4 x 4" x 2"
Wt: 10.2oz
Searles Lake, California, U.S.A.
This lovely Halite specimen is colored pink by bacteria that were trapped when the salt precipitated out of solution. Its largest crystals approach 1 inch in all dimensions and show good examples of a form known as "hopper crystals," wherein the face of a crystal has formed concentric depressions in the shape of said crystal. Salt is delicate and highly soluble, and so should be kept in a safe, dry place.
hal-2 ($ 45.00)
Searles Lake, California, U.S.A.
HALITE specimen hal-3$ 600.00
Dims: 18" x 10" x 7"
Wt: approx. 30 lbs
Searles Lake, California, U.S.A.
The only word fit to describe this item is "unique". It is a cattle skull (minus the horns, unfortunately) that has been half covered with a thick crust of crystalline pink halite! It's huge! The pink halite crystals achieve hoppered cubes that are 2" long on each side maximum. This is really an amazing specimen that we probably won't be able to replace.
hal-3 ($600.00)Searles Lake, California, U.S.A.
HALITE specimen hal-4
$ 50.00
$ 50.00
Dims: 8-1/4 x 2-1/8" x 2-1/2"
Wt: 8.23 oz
P.C.S. Rocanville, Rocanville, Saskatchewan, Canada
This specimen is quite different from most of the halite pieces that I've seen. For instance, the crystals(which are all interlocked into a form that resembles a stalactite) are all a translucent white color with zones of transparency. Secondly, the faces are all clean and smooth-- there are no "hopper faces"! On top of all of that, the specimen comes from way up north in Canada, one of my favorite places!
hal-4 ($ 50.00)
P.C.S. Rocanville, Rocanville, Saskatchewan, Canada
HALITE specimen hal-5
$ 30.00
$ 30.00
Dims: 3-1/2 x 3-3/4" x 2-5/8"
Wt: 11.7 oz
Searles Lake, Trona, California, U.S.A.
This specimen is basically made up of a cluster of pink halite crystals- like most other evaporite products, it has no host rock. On the faces where it was not separated from the salt crust it came from, there are crystals up to 1 inch long or more along the edge. They all possess the cubic shape and waxy luster of salt crystals, and all show evidence of the "hopper effect". Their pink color is common for Searles Lake halite, and comes from the presence of bacteria trapped in the crystals.
hal-5 ($ 30.00)
Searles Lake, Trona, California, U.S.A.
HALITE specimen hal-6
$ 50.00
$ 50.00
Dims: 5.2 x 3.8" x 2.8" (13.2 x 9.7 x 7.1 cm)
Wt: 1 lb., 0.9 oz. (479 g)
Searles Lake, Trona, California, U.S.A.
This specimen consists of part of a Halite crust. It is made up of hundreds of intergrown cubic crystals that range in size from a few millimeters to 0.8" (2.0 cm) along an edge. All have a pale pink color and pearly to waxy luster, and are translucent. Their cubic forms show definite hopper effects, and all are in very good condition, with little discernable damage. As exposure to light causes the specimen's pink color to fade, it is best to store it in a box, out of which one can take it for display or examination.
hal-6 ($ 50.00)
Searles Lake, Trona, California, U.S.A.
HALITE specimen hal-7
$ 42.00
$ 42.00
Dims: 6.8 x 3.4 x 2.7" (17.3 x 8.6 x 6.9 cm)
Wt: 1 lb., 3.8 oz. (561 g)
P.C.S. Rocanville, Rocanville, Saskatchewan, Canada
This Halite specimen appears to consist of a stalactitic formation that is made up of scores, if not hundreds, of cubic crystals. These crystals range in diameter from less than 0.1" (3 mm) to nearly 1.4" (3.6 cm) and are in excellent condition, showing very little human-induced damage. Their edges are very well-defined, and their faces are smooth, possessing little of the "hopper effect" that is common with Halite from California, in the U.S. All of them are milky-white in color and translucent to dimly transparent, and have a pearly luster. The specimen is made up entirely of Halite- there is no host rock present.
hal-7 ($ 42.00)
P.C.S. Rocanville, Rocanville, Saskatchewan, Canada
HALITE specimen hal-8
$ 44.00
$ 44.00
Dims: 6.0 x 4.1 x 2.4" (15.2 x 10.7 x 6.1 cm)
Wt: 1 lb., 4.4 oz. (578 g)
P.C.S. Rocanville, Rocanville, Saskatchewan, Canada
What looks almost like a stalactitic Halite formation comprises this large hand specimen. It is made up of hundreds of intergrown Halite cubes that are aligned directionally with each other. These cubes range in size from 0.1" (3 mm) or less up to 1.3" (3.3 cm) and are in excellent condition, showing only a small amount of human-induced damage. Their form is excellent- edges are well-defined and faces are clean, possessing a pearly luster. Only the largest crystals show any of the "hopper effect" that is common with Halites from the U.S. state of California. All have a milky-white color and are basically translucent, though a few show patches of colorlessness and clarity. There is no host rock present.
hal-8 ($ 44.00)
P.C.S. Rocanville, Rocanville, Saskatchewan, Canada
HALITE specimen hal-9
$ 25.00
$ 25.00
Dims: 3.0 x 2.4 x 2.0" (7.6 x 6.1 x 5.1 cm)
Wt: 5.12 oz. (145.2 g)
Searles Lake, Trona, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
A cluster of intergrown Halite cubes makes up this hand specimen. These cubes range in diameter from a few millimeters to nearly 1.1" (2.8 cm) and are generally in very good condition, showing only a small amount of damage. Their cubic form is excellent, and like most Halite crystals from this locality, demonstrate the "hopper effect" that occurs when the edges of a crystal grow more quickly than its faces. All have a uniform pale pink coloration (caused by bacteria trapped within) and a bright pearly luster. The cluster is basically translucent, but some edgeward crystals show a very faint transparence in areas. There is no host rock present.
hal-9 ($ 25.00)
Searles Lake, Trona, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
HALITE specimen hal-10
$ 55.00
$ 55.00
Dims: 5.0 x 3.5 x 1.8" (12.7 x 8.9 x 4.6 cm)
Wt: 10.9 oz. (310 g)
Searles Lake, Trona, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
Scores of intergrown Halite cubes make up this hand specimen. They range in diameter from a few millimeters to 1.1" (2.8 cm), and are generally in very good condition, showing little damage. All have excellent cubic form and show obvious "hopper effects", wherein the edges of each crystal grew faster than the faces. They have the common pale pink color caused by included bacteria, and possess a waxy luster. The Halites rest on what appears to be a massive bed of trona.
hal-10 ($ 55.00)
Searles Lake, Trona, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
HALITE specimen hal-11
$ 40.00
$ 40.00
Dims: 6.8 x 2.9 x 2.5" (17.3 x 7.4 x 6.4 cm)
Wt: 10.1 oz. (286.0 g)
P.C.S. Rocanville, Rocanville, Saskatchewan, Canada
I cannot tell if this Halite specimen is actually stalactitic in nature- however, I think that it is, as it only shows fresh damage at one end. It consists of scores, or perhaps hundreds of intergrown Halite cubes that are in excellent condition and reach diameters of nearly 1" (2.5 cm). All have excellent cubic form, with well-defined edges and clean faces that possess a waxy luster and show no "hoppering". All have a milky-white color and are translucent to dimly transparent. Several show a thin layer of clarity that runs along one plane near the center of each crystal (see the second image). There is no base or host rock present, though there are tiny bits of a reddish material stuck to the piece (these could be made of halite, however).
hal-11 ($ 40.00)
P.C.S. Rocanville, Rocanville, Saskatchewan, Canada
HALITE specimen hal-12
$ 45.00
$ 45.00
Dims: 4.9 x 4.0 x 1.9" (12.4 x 10.2 x 4.8 cm)
Wt: 11.3 oz. (321 g)
Searles Lake, Trona, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
This hand specimen is made up almost entirely of partly intergrown Halite cubes. These cubes are generally in excellent condition and measure as much as 0.9" (2.3 cm) along an edge. All have excellent cubic form, though one or two are slightly warped, and all show the "hopper effect" which is standard for Halite from this locality. Their color is a pale pink and they have a pearly luster. Though a few may show patches of transparence, they are generally translucent. The crystals rest on a more massive bed of Halite that may be mixed with an indeterminate amount of trona.
hal-12 ($ 45.00)
Searles Lake, Trona, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
HALITE specimen hal-13
$ 40.00
$ 40.00
Dims: 4.6 x 4.0 x 2.3" (11.7 x 10.2 x 5.8 cm)
Wt: 15.4 oz. (436 g)
Searles Lake, Trona, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
Dozens of large Halite crystals rest on the more massive Halite crust of this specimen. These crystals reach over 1" (2.5 cm) in diameter and are in excellent condition, showing almost no damage. Their cubic form is likewise excellent- they occur in a hopper form, wherein the edges of each crystal grew more quickly than their faces, creating depressions that are graduated by concentric "steps". All have the pink color that is common for Halite from this locality, and their luster is pearly at beast. They are generally translucent, though most contain patches of transparence. The color fades drastically to white at one point on the base, which I believe contains a substantial amount of trona.
hal-13 ($ 40.00)
Searles Lake, Trona, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
HALITE specimen hal-14
$ 38.00
$ 38.00
Dims: 4.6 x 4.2 x 3.0" (11.7 x 10.7 x 7.6 cm)
Wt: 15.9 oz. (452 g)
Searles Lake, Trona, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
This cabinet specimen consists of part of a crust of crystalline Halite. The crystals are heavily intergrown and show slight weathering, but are generally in good condition. They do not exceed 0.8" (2 cm) in diameter and have very good cubic "hopper" form. All have a uniform pale pink coloration and a dull pearly luster, and are translucent to dimly transparent. The crystals grow off of a base of more massive Halite.
hal-14 ($ 38.00)
Searles Lake, Trona, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
HALITE specimen hal-15
$ 26.00
$ 26.00
Dims: 4.4 x 4.1 x 1.9" (11.2 x 10.4 x 4.8 cm)
Wt: 7.75 oz. (219.6 g)
Searles Lake, Trona, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
Several Halite crystals rest on the grainy halite/bloedite base of this specimen. These cubes are in very good condition, showing no damage, and measure up to 0.7" (1.8 cm) along an edge. Their cubic form is good, with well-defined edges and rather irregular, sunken faces that denote hopper crystals. All have a pearly-white color and a pearly luster and are translucent. The bloedite on the base is a brighter white color than the halite, and a bit less translucent.
hal-15 ($ 26.00)
Searles Lake, Trona, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
HALITE specimen hal-16
$ 65.00
$ 65.00
Dims: 4.4 x 4.0 x 2.4" (11.2 x 10.2 x 6.0 cm)
Wt: 15.4 oz. (436 g)
Searles Lake, Trona, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
Several intergrown Halite crystals rest on the trona base of this cabinet specimen. These crystals measure up to 1.2" (3.0 cm) along an edge, and all are in very good condition. Their cubic form is excellent and exhibits hoppering, and their pink color is moderately deep. All have a pearly luster and are dimly transparent. The trona and Halite fade to a white color in one area.
hal-16 ($ 65.00)
Searles Lake, Trona, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
HALITE specimen hal-18
$ 68.00
$ 68.00
Dims: 3.5 x 2.9 x 2.1" (8.9 x 7.4 x 5.3 cm)
Wt: 6.7 oz. (191 g)
Searles Lake, Trona, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
Part of a crust of intergrown Halite crystals makes up this cabinet specimen. These crystals are generally in very good condition and measure up to 1.1" (2.8 cm) along an edge. Their cubic form is excellent, and all show the hopper effect that occurs when the edges of a crystal grow more quickly than the centers of its faces. The halite has a pink color and a pearly luster, and is dimly transparent in some areas. Most of the larger crystals are covered with a very thin crust of thenardite, a sodium sulfate mineral that likely pseudomorphed from the Halite. Otherwise, there is no other material present.
hal-18 ($ 68.00)
Searles Lake, Trona, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
HALITE specimen hal-17
$ 50.00
$ 50.00
Dims: 5.2 x 4.0 x 2.6" (13.2 x 10.1 x 6.6 cm)
Wt: 1 lb., 0.9 oz. (479 g)
Searles Lake, Trona, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
This section of a crystalline Halite crust contains crystals that are generally in good condition and measure up to 0.8" (2 cm) along an edge. The crystals have excellent cubic form and exhibit the hopper effect that is common for Halite from this area. Its pink color is quite pale, and it has a pearly luster. Some crystals may be dimly transparent, but the piece is essentially translucent.
hal-17 ($ 50.00)
Searles Lake, Trona, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
HALITE specimen hal-19
$ 60.00
$ 60.00
Dims: 4.6 x 4.3 x 2.5" (11.6 x 10.8 x 6.3 cm)
Wt: 1 lb., 0.8 oz. (477 g)
Searles Lake, Trona, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
A large chunk of crystalline Halite comprises this cabinet specimen. The piece is made up of scores of intergrown Halite cubes that are in excellent condition and measure up to 1.1" (2.9 cm) along an edge. Their cubic form is excellent, and almost all of them exhibit the hopper effect that occurs when the edges of a crystal grow faster than its faces. Their color is a relatively uniform pink and their luster is pearly, and all are translucent to dimly transparent. A crust of white trona serves as a base to the Halite cluster.
hal-19 ($ 60.00)
Searles Lake, Trona, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
HALITE specimen hal-21
$ 25.00
$ 25.00
Dims: 2.1 x 1.1 x 0.9" (5.4 x 2.7 x 2.2 cm)
Wt: 19 g
P.C.S. Rocanville, Rocanville, Saskatchewan, Canada
This hand specimen appears to consist of a small stalactitic formation of intergrown Halite cubes. These cubes are in excellent condition, showing no damage, and range in diameter from less than 0.1" (3 mm) to 0.8" (2.1 cm). Their cubic form is excellent, and like most Halite crystals from this Canadian locality, their faces are very smooth and show none of the "hopper effect" indentations that are common in U.S. pieces. The crystals have a uniform milky-white color and a bright pearly luster, and are not quite transparent. There is no base or host material present.
hal-21 ($ 25.00)
P.C.S. Rocanville, Rocanville, Saskatchewan, Canada
HALITE specimen hal-22
$ 25.00
$ 25.00
Dims: 2.8 x 1.1 x 0.6" (7.0 x 2.9 x 1.5 cm)
Wt: 18 g
P.C.S. Rocanville, Rocanville, Saskatchewan, Canada
This large hand specimen consists of an apparently stalactitic formation of intergrown Halite cubes. These cubes are in excellent condition, showing almost no human-induced damage, and reach diameters of 0.4" (1 cm). Their cubic form is excellent, and exhibits none of the "hoppering" that is a common occurrence in specimens from the U.S. All are milky-white in color, have a pearly luster, and are translucent to dimly transparent. There is no other material present.
hal-22 ($ 25.00)
P.C.S. Rocanville, Rocanville, Saskatchewan, Canada
HALITE specimen hal-23
$ 50.00
$ 50.00
Dims: 4.7 x 3.6 x 1.9" (11.8 x 9.2 x 4.7 cm)
Wt: 11.7 oz. (332 g)
Searles Lake, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
Seven Halite cubes rest on the burkeite base of this display specimen. These cubes reach 0.9" (2.3 cm) in diameter and are in excellent condition, showing almost no fresh damage. All have excellent cubic form and show the common hopper effect, wherein the edges of each crystal grew faster than the centers of its faces. All have the pale pink coloration and pearly luster that are standard for specimens from Searles Lake, and all are transparent and dimly clear due to internal flaws. They rest on a bed of compact, radial burkeite that has formed a botryoidal crust. This crust coats a dull yellow base that I think is made of trona.
hal-23 ($ 50.00)
Searles Lake, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
HALITE specimen hal-24
$ 45.00
$ 45.00
Dims: 4.4 x 3.8 x 3.0" (11.1 x 9.5 x 7.5 cm)
Wt: 15.3 oz. (435 g)
Searles Lake, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
This display specimen consists of a dull gray base rock on which rest scores of Halite cubes. These cubes are generally in very good condition, showing little damage, and reach diameters of 0.9" (2.4 cm). All show good cubic form, but only a few crystals show any of the hopper effect which is a normally common occurrence for this locality. They also show a dull, blue-gray coloration, which is also rather uncommon for pieces from this area, but they do have the standard pearly luster. All are cloudy and dimly to moderately translucent. I cannot identify the base on which they rest, but I am thinking it is made up of bloedite.
hal-24 ($ 45.00)
Searles Lake, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
HALITE specimen hal-25
$ 40.00
$ 40.00
Dims: 4.0 x 3.1 x 3.1" (10.2 x 7.9 x 7.8 cm)
Wt: 11.3 oz. (319 g)
Searles Lake, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
Six Halite cubest rest on the base of this cabinet piece. These crystals reach 0.9" (2.2 cm) and are in moderately good condition, showing some fresh damage; one crystal has been all but completely broken off of the base. Their cubic form is likewise moderately good and shows healed breakage and growth irregularities. All have the standard pale pink coloration and pearly luster of Halite from this locality, and all are translucent to dimly transparent. They rest on a bed of compact, fibrous burkeite that forms a botryoidal crust. This crust covers a dull yellow base material which is likely made of trona.
hal-25 ($ 40.00)
Searles Lake, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
HALITE specimen hal-26
$ 30.00
$ 30.00
Dims: 5.4 x 4.2 x 2.1" (13.8 x 10.6 x 5.3 cm)
Wt: 10.8 oz. (305 g)
Searles Lake, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
This display piece consists of a Halite crust that rests on a thin bloedite base. The crust has spawned many crystals, the largest of which measures 1.4" (3.5 cm) in diameter. All are in good condition, showing little fresh damage, and have good cubic form with much hoppering on their surfaces. Their color ranges from a deep violet-pink to pale pink, their luster is pearly, and all are tranlucent to dimly transparent. The bloedite crust on which they rest has a creamy white color and shows some evidence of crystal form.
hal-26 ($ 30.00)
Searles Lake, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
HALITE specimen hal-27
$ 25.00
$ 25.00
Dims: 6.3 x 3.8 x 1.7" (16.0 x 9.7 x 4.2 cm)
Wt: 10.6 oz. (300 g)
Searles Lake, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
Many incomplete cubes extend from this Halite crust. These cubes are in very good condition, showing little damage, and measure up to 0.9" (2.2 cm) along an edge. All have moderately good cubic form, as they are generally incomplete; they do show rather intense hoppering, however, which may have contributed to their present forms. All have the standard pale pink color and pearly luster of pieces from this locality, and all range from translucent to dimly transparent. The Halites form a crust that covers a creamy white bloedite base.
hal-27 ($ 25.00)
Searles Lake, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
HALITE specimen hal-28
$ 25.00
$ 25.00
Dims: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.8" (17.2 x 10.4 x 4.5 cm)
Wt: 14.3 oz. (406 g)
Searles Lake, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
This Halite crust is made up of scores of intergrown crystals that are in very good condition and reach diameters of 0.7" (1.9 cm). All have excellent cubic form and clearly show the hopper effect that is commonly found in Halite crystals. All have a faint pink coloration and a pearly luster, and all are translucent to dimly transparent. They rest on what appears to be a bed of white, crystalline thenardite or bloedite. These crystals are unusually large and well formed, and a few even rest on some halite crystals on the other side of the specimen.
hal-28 ($ 25.00)
Searles Lake, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
HALITE specimen hal-29
$ 25.00
$ 25.00
Dims: 5.6 x 3.9 x 2.2" (14.4 x 9.9 x 5.7 cm)
Wt: 12.9 oz. (367 g)
Searles Lake, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
A crust of crystalline Halite rests on the base of this display piece. These crystals measure up to 0.7" (1.9 cm) along an edge and are in excellent condition, showing very little damage. All have excellent cubic form and noticeable hoppering on their faces. Their color is a creamy white with a faint pink tinge and their luster is the standard pearly. All are translucent to dimly transparent. They rest on a bed of what is likely thenardite but might be bloedite that has good crystal form but shows rather heavy damage.
hal-29 ($ 25.00)
Searles Lake, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
HALITE specimen hal-30
$ 39.00
$ 39.00
Dims:3.6x2.7x1.8" (9.1x6.9x4.6 cm)
Wt: 5.6oz. (159g)
Searles Lake, San Bernardino cty., California
This is a nice specimen of pink halite crystals resting on a piece of evaporite matrix. The largest crystal measures nearly 1.2" (3.0cm) across. Several of these crystals exhibit hopper-growth, a condition occuring when crystal edges grow more quickly than the centers. The pink color is due to algae in the crystallizing solution. There is only very minor damage to this specimen.
hal-30 ($ 39.00)
Searles Lake, San Bernardino cty., California
HALITE specimen hal-32
$ 75.00
$ 75.00
Dims: 1.5x1.25x3.1" (3.9x3.2x7.9 cm)
Wt: 4.8 oz. (137g)
Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA
The specimen of halite is transparent and its color ranges from blue to purple to colorless, with some color zones being fairly dark. The piece is appealing, even though all of the surfaces appear to be cleavage planes, except possibly the back.
hal-32 ($ 75.00)
Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA
HALITE specimen hal-33
$ 75.00
$ 75.00
Dims: 3.0x0.9x2.4" (7.5x2.2x6.0 cm)
Wt: 4.45 oz. (126g)
Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA
This is an interesting halite specimen, due to the random pattern of purple color zones inside the crystal. I suspect that all of the faces are either cleavage or fracture, but I do note that the surfaces that I think are "fracture" do not show a normal conchoidal fracture pattern, and indeed look more like surface striations.
hal-33 ($ 75.00)
Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA
HALITE specimen hal-34
$ 150.00
$ 150.00
Dims: 7.3x5.4x1.5" (18.7x13.7x3.7 cm)
Wt: 33.5 oz. (950g)
Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA
This large halite crystal has a natural termination on the top surface, but entirely cleavage or fracture surfaces elsewhere. The coloring is interesting, as the bottom of the crystal is clear and colorless, and towards the top are numerous zones of color. Mostly, the zones are a deep purple and are vertically oriented. There are some horizontal blue color layers, also,
hal-34 ($150.00)
Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA
HALITE specimen hal-36
$ 110.00
$ 110.00
Dims: 2.9x2.2x3.1" (7.3x5.7x8.0cm)
Wt: 15.17 oz. (429.2g)
Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA
This is a very nice halite specimen. It is extremely transparent, and part of the crystal is colored blue from three orthogonal planes of parallel color-defect zoning. The blue color is a crystal ion defect effect - it would disappear if the specimen was disolved. Five surfaces are cleavage, and one looks fractured - there are apparently no original crystal surfaces. Still, the specimen is appealing. From one side, there are a dozen or more horizontal blue zones. From the front, there are additional parallel blue zones at a 45 degree angle. And from the top, there is a cross-hatch of color zones at right angles. This is a very nice cabinet specimen.
hal-36 ($110.00)
Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA
HALITE specimen hal-35
$ 375.00
$ 375.00
Dims: 8.86x5.83x2.99" (22.5x14.8x7.6cm)
Wt: 6¾lbs (3kg)
Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA
This large cabinet specimen of halite is a beautifully patterned blue color. The blue splotches appear nearly random from most angles, but are clearly layered from some viewpoints. Other than the blue color zones, the halite is transparent, colorless, and very transparent. There do not appear to be any original crystal surfaces - rather, most surfaces are cleavage, with some obvious fracture surfaces breaking the symmetry of the orthogonal cleavage planes. There are some very interesting patterns visible on the surface. The overall appearance is a deep and pretty blue. This specimen shows well when backlit. However, it is halite, and should be kept in a dry cabinet OR shuld be constantly illuminated (via a warm light source) to keep its temperature slightly above ambient to prevent humidity from pitting the surface.
hal-35 ($375.00)
Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA
HALITE specimen hal-39
$ 65.00
$ 65.00
Dims: 2.92x2.70x1.98" (7.41x6.85x5.02cm)
Wt: 4.42oz (125.2g)
Searles Lake, Trona, California, USA
These halite crystals are pink and translucent, although some of the smaller crystals appear colorless and translucent in areas. The crystals have a rectangular form with stepped crystal faces.
hal-39 ($ 65.00)
Searles Lake, Trona, California, USA
HALITE specimen hal-37$ 135.00
Dims: 5.93x4.67x3.70" (15.05x11.85x9.40cm)
Wt: 45.22oz (1282g)
Searles Lake, Trona, California, USA
because it presents so nicely. It is a cluster of hoppered pink halite cubes perched on a non-descript host rock (it may just be dirty, massive halite). The top of the rock is colored pink by a thin, porous coating of halite. The bottom of the specimen is covered with hundreds of small perfect cubes of clear, colorless halite. To my eye, the color of the larger crystals is a nice pink, with no hint of the orange that seems to show up in our (unretouched) photos.
hal-37 ($135.00)Searles Lake, Trona, California, USA
HALITE specimen hal-40
$ 35.00
$ 35.00
Dims: 3.91x1.98x1.68" (9.93x5.02x4.28cm)
Wt: 3.35oz (95.1g)
Rocanville, Saskatchewan, Canada
This is a beautiful specimen of halite (table salt). It is complete - I see no attachement points. It is completely formed of cubic crystals of colorless halite, which have a white appearance over-all due to internal fractures and milky inclusions. The intergrown crystals are arranged in several spires of stacked crystals which look like just two spires until closely examined. Some of the smaller crystals are very transparent, and many crystals show color zoning - one half colorless, the other half milky. THe one imperfection I note is that (before I purchased it) the specimen appears to have been stored on cotton which became damp, and some of the cotton fibers have adhered to parts of the specimen. I have removed most of them, but the vitreous luster is dulled where the moisture touched the surface.
hal-40 ($ 35.00)
Rocanville, Saskatchewan, Canada
HALITE specimen hal-38
$ 95.00
$ 95.00
dims mm=167.4x49.41x28.42
wt g=114.3
Rocanville, Saskatchewan, Canada
I believe that this is a stalactite of halite. It is pretty, consisting of several lines of intergrown cubes of white halite. The attachement point is not obvious in that there is not a clear breakage point, but one end (the only end to show any damage at all) must be the starting point of the stalactite, as the lines of crystals appear to flow from there. Careful mounting will yield an impressive specimen.
hal-38 ($ 95.00)
Rocanville, Saskatchewan, Canada
HALITE specimen hal-41
$ 30.00
$ 30.00
dims mm=55.49x39.30x28.76
wt g=35.4
Searles Lake, Trona, California, USA
Three intergrown halite crystals comprise this specimen. One is only a fraction of a complete crystal, and forms the base. The other two, while incomplete, are still nicely aesthetic, strongly hoppered crystals with a pink color. Some portions of the crystals are colorless and very transparent, but overall the halite is colored pink by inclusions of bacteria.
hal-41 ($ 30.00)
Searles Lake, Trona, California, USA