SULFUR
Specimen sul-3

Dims: 3-1/2" x 2-1/2" x 2"

Wt: 5.2 oz

Poland

The Sulfur crystals on this specimen are of reasonably large size (measuring up to 3/4 inch in length),with a deep yellow color and a surprisingly small amount of damage! There are smaller crystals scattered about and clustered all over the specimen, covering at least 50% of the matrix's (composed of Celestite) surface area. I find it surprising that this piece made it all the way from Poland to us with as little damage as it has!

Dims: 5" x 4-1/2" x 2"

Wt: 1 lb., 8 oz

Sicily, Italy

The largest of the Sulfur crystals on this specimen are covered with a thick coating of prismatic and dogtooth calcites. Some faces of a few of these monstrous crystals are visible on the specimen's underside. There is a sparse spread of small Sulfur crystals on the calcite crust. Mixed in with the Sulfur and calcite on its underside is what seems to be the host rock, likely made up of limestone. I personally would love to see this piece with the calcite removed, because I know that the Sulfur crystals underneath would be the largest that I would ever have seen!

Dims: 2.0" x 1.0" x 1.0" (5.1 x 2.5 x 2.5 cm)

Wt: 26.1 g

Maybee, Michigan, U.S.A.

A very simple specimen, this small piece consists of a singly dipyramidal native Sulfur crystal. It has warped but good, well-developed form and only one small spot of damage on the tip of each pyramid, where the crystal may have been attached to its place of formation. It has the standard bright yellow coloration and translucence of Sulfur, and the crystal has a pearly luster. A small piece of host rock is attached to the crystal, and close examination under 10-power or greater magnification will show that the host rock is crusted with tiny crystals of celestite and calcite. Neat!

Dims: 2.0" x 1.5" x 0.7" (5.1 x 3.8 x 1.8 cm)

Wt: 20.3 g

San Felipe, Baja, California, Mexico

A crust made up of dozens of small, intergrown, orthorombic prismatic native Sulfur crystals constitutes this specimen. The specimen is in generally excellent condition, with almost no visible damage, and the crystals themselves have excellent form, with well-defined edges and smooth faces that accentuate their vitreous luster. They are very small, not exceeding 0.2" (5 mm) in length, and show moderate transparence and visible but foggy clarity. As a whole, the specimen sparkles quite brilliantly.

Dims: 2.0" x 1.5" x 0.7" (5.1 x 3.8 x 1.8 cm)

Wt: 12.0 g w/ base

San Felipe, Baja, California, Mexico

A small amount of host rock on this specimen is attached to part of a crust of intergrown Sulfur crystals. They have warped but definite orthorombic prismatic form, and only a few show damage. The largest of these crystals has dimensions of 0.7 x 0.4 x 0.3" (1.8 x 1.0 x 0.8 cm), and most of the others are at least half that size. All have the characteristic bright yellow color and vitreous luster of Sulfur crystals. They are transparent and some show excellent clarity, though most are somewhat cloudy and contain many internal fractures. The specimen is affixed to a square acrylic base with a hot-melt glue.

Dims: 4.7" x 3.2" x 3.2" (11.9 x 8.1 x 8.1 cm)

Wt: 15.1 oz. (427 g)

Baja, California, Mexico

This specimen consists of a large chunk of chalky, white material that makes me think of massive borax which acts as a base for a crust of crystalline Sulfur. The crystals that make up the crust are very small (0.1" or 3 mm diameter max.) and heavily intergrown, but show definite and well-formed crystal form. Like most Sulfur crystals, they show an intense yellow color, a vitreous luster, and reasonably good transparence and clarity. They cover up about 15-20% of the host rock's total surface area, and show relatively little damage.

Dims: 2.4" x 2.3" x 2.1" (6.1 x 5.8 x 5.3 cm)

Wt: 4.19 oz. (118.8 g)

Agrigento, Sicily

There are two crystals on this Sicilian Sulfur specimen that are over 80% complete, and one that is incomplete due to natural effects- the rest are damaged and are glued together to create a "base" for the specimen. However, these three crystals are in very good condition, have excellent orthorombic crystal form, and are quite large- the largest (which is also the incomplete crystal) has visible dimensions of 1.6 x 1.3 x 1.0" (4.1 x 3.3 x 2.5 cm). The most complete crystal is missing almost no material and has dimensions of 1.0 x 0.8 x 0.8" (2.5 x 2.0 x 2.0 cm). All have the standard bright yellow coloration of Sulfur and a rather dull, pearly-to-waxy luster. They show partial transparence and dim clarity through the dull finish. Several of the Sulfur crystals are partially coated with very thin crusts of tiny, intergrown calcite crystals. It appears that the specimen originally broke apart due to careless handling, and was glued back together- it is not obvious upon first glance, but is visible under examination.

Dims: 2.4" x 1.9" x 1.9" (6.1 x 4.8 x 4.8 cm)

Wt: 4.15 oz. (117.4 g)

Cianciana Mine, Agrigento, Sicily

This Sicilian specimen consists of a few Sulfur crystals that rest on a base of pale brown, chalky host rock. Though most of the crystals on the specimen are damaged and incomplete, those that are intact are in very good condition and have excellent, if odd, form. The largest crystal has visible dimensions of 1.1 x 0.7 x 0.5" (2.8 x 1.8 x 1.3 cm), and shows partial damage and two large cracks running through it. It appears to be in the form of a trigonal bipyramid that is laying down on one side, and does not resemble the orthorombic form that Sulfur usually possesses. Another crystal has an even stranger form, as it appears that one of its sides forms a gentle, continuous arc that spans nearly 90 degrees. A third crystal appears to consist of a single orthorombic pyramid. All of these crystals have the bright yellow color of Sulfur and a waxy-to-pearly luster. They show dim transparence in some areas, though the dull luster prevents one from clearly seeing their interiors. These crystals rest on a bed of pale gray celestite that shows some crystal form, though it is severely warped. The few crystalline areas show a pearly luster and are transparent and moderately clear. There is a sizable patch of Sulfur on the opposite side of the specimen, but this consists of a badly broken cluster, and there is almost no discernable crystal form. The larger crystal's color is unusually deep, and has an orange tint to it.

Dims: 8.8" x 8.4" x 6.0" (22.4 x 21.3 x 15.2 cm)

Wt: 11.7 lbs. (5.3 kg)

Agrigento, Sicily

One of the more attractive that I have seen, this native Sulfur specimen consists of a large chunk of calcareous shale host rock in which a deep cavity extends. This cavity is lined with dozens of trigonal pyramidal calcite crystals, and is the resting place of at least 6 large orthorombic prismatic Sulfur crystals. They are in excellent condition, as the depth of the cavity has protected them from damage. The largest crystal is not quite complete due to the tightness of the hollow's space, but has visible dimensions of approximately 1.5 x 1.0 x 0.6" (3.8 x 2.5 x 1.5 cm). All have good form, with well-defined edges and clean, smooth face that show a bright, pearly-to-vitreous luster. They have the standard bright-yellow coloration of native Sulfur and are translucent, showing small areas of moderate transparence. The calcite crystals that line the hollow are generally in excellent condition and have the trigonal "dogtooth" form that is common for this mineral. They have a pale cream coloration and a pearly luster, and are dimly transparent.

Dims: 1.1" x 0.8" x 0.5" (2.8 x 2.0 x 1.3 cm)

Wt: 25.6 g w/ specimen box

Maybee, Michigan, U.S.A.

As this specimen appears to be delicate, and is very securely glued into a plastic specimen box, I will leave it as such. It consists of 2 partially intergrown Sulfur crystals with a small amount of crystalline calcite accompanying them. One of the crystals is less than 50% complete, but the other is nearly whole, showing only a small amount of damage. Its orthorombic prismatic form is imperfect but easily definable, and most of the edges and faces are well-defined and show a bright, pearly luster that has an almost silky sheen to it. Its color is, of course, yellow, and though it shows small patches of transparence, heavy internal fracturing prevents a view of anything deeper than 2 mm into the crystal. The tiny calcites have a trigonal "dogtooth" form, and do not exceed 2 mm in length. They are transparent, but are intergrown in a milky-white crust. Given that these crystals come from an American locality, their quality and form are somewhat unusual.

Dims: 1.0" x 0.6" x 0.3" (2.5 x 1.5 x 0.8 cm)

Wt: 10.7 g w/ specimen box

Alum Mine (near Tonopah), Esmeralda County, Nevada, U.S.A.

Though very small, this specimen comes from a relatively unknown American locality for Sulfur, and shows at least 7 incomplete but well-formed crystals that are intergrown. The largest of these shows visible dimensions of 0.6 x 0.4 x 0.3" (1.5 x 1.0 x 0.8 cm), and like the others, shows excellent orthorombic pyramidal form, with well-defined edges and clean faces that show a bright, nearly vitreous luster. All have a moderate yellow color and are transparent, though their intergrowth and many internal fractures spoil their clarity. There is no host rock or any other foreign material present. It would appear that the specimen is attached to the foam base of the specimen box with a soft putty; the piece could be carefully detached for display in another box or on a small base.

Dims: 6.9" x 6.3" x 4.0" (17.5 x 16.0 x 10.2 cm)

Wt: 8.1 lbs. (3.7 kg)

Agrigento, Sicily

This cabinet specimen consists of dozens of small but well-formed orthorhombic prismatic native Sulfur crystals that rest on a base rock that is made up of intergrown Sulfur and white calcite. The largest of these crystals does not exceed 0.5" (1.3 cm) in any dimension; though there are many crystals that are damaged, incomplete, or missing, many others are intact and show excellent form, with well-defined edges and smooth faces whose lusters range from pearly to vitreous. All have the bright yellow coloration that is standard for Sulfur, and almost all of the crystals are transparent and show excellent clarity; some of the larger crystals, however, do show slight but noticeable internal fracturing. They rest on a crust of dirty white calcite crystals that are extremely intergrown. This crust appears to cover a formation of much larger calcite or aragonite crystals that have a hexagonal prismatic form and are capped by flat, basal terminations. There is also another crust of Sulfur crystals resting under part of this calcite druse, and more massive Sulfur serves as a base rock beneath that.

Dims: 3.4 x 2.4 x 2.3" (8.6 x 6.1 x 5.8 cm)

Wt: 4.22 oz. (119.6 g)

Sicily

A druse of small, tightly-intergrown native Sulfur crystals partly coats the surface of the chalky, white host rock of this hand specimen. Though delicate and quite exposed, only a few of these crystals actually show any noticeable damage or breakage. None of them appear to exceed 0.2" (5 mm) along any axis, and are heavily warped due to intergrowth. They do have a definite and sometimes well-defined orthorhombic prismatic form, but they tend to grow on top of each other, so only the outermost crystals have good form. All have the classic bright yellow coloration and vitreous luster of Sulfur, and most of the more exposed crystals show at least dim translucence. Besides the crust, there are several small, individual crystals scattered about one face of the host rock.

Dims: 2.4 x 1.6 x 1.5" (6.1 x 4.1 x 3.8 cm)

Wt: 2.87 oz. (81.5 g)

Vodninskoye Mine, Samara, Russia

Several native Sulfur crystals rest on the calcareous host rock of this specimen. The largest of these are intergrown with each other dimensions of 0.4 x 0.4 x 0.2" (1.0 x 1.0 x 0.5 cm), and the smaller ones do not exceed 0.2" (5 mm) along any axis Two of these smaller crystals are obviously broken and incomplete, but the largest crystals are intact. Their orthorhombic prismatic form is good, and they almost appear to be twinned, but I do not think that they are. Both have well-defined edges and relatively clean faces that possess a bright, vitreous luster. Some areas on the crystals are somewhat disseminated and take on an almost skeletal form, but still retain a definite crystal shape. They have the classic deep yellow coloration of Sulfur, and are transparent and impressively clear. The base on which they rest appears to be made up of thin crusts of shale that are coated with thick layers of tiny, dogtooth calcite crystals that have a pale cream to a dark brown color.

Dims: 2.0 x 1.8 x 0.8" (5.1 x 4.6 x 2.0 cm)

Wt: 1.64 oz. (46.5 g)

Vodninskoye Mine, Samara, Russia

A single large Sulfur crystal and many smaller, broken crystals rest on the calcareous host rock of this thumbnail specimen. The crystal is in moderately good condition, as it shows considerable damage, and has dimensions of 0.8 x 0.4 x 0.4" (2.0 x 1.0 x 1.0 cm). Its orthorhombic prismatic form is slightly warped but still reasonably good- its edges are well-defined and its faces are clean, possessing a vitreous luster. It has the standard bright yellow coloration of its species, and is transparent and moderately clear due to the presence of many internal fractures. The hollow in which the Sulfur rests is lined with tiny dogtooth calcites, and the host rock itself is made up of massive or semicrystalline calcite.

Dims: 2.6 x 1.8 x 1.3" (6.6 x 4.6 x 3.3 cm)

Wt: 2.90 oz. (82.3 g)

Vodninskoye Mine, Samara, Russia

Several partly intergrown native Sulfur crystals rest on the calcareous host rock of this small hand specimen. The crystals range in size from a few millimeters along each axis to 1.3 x 0.8 x 0.7" (3.3 x 2.0 x 2.8 cm), and most are either damaged or broken and incomplete. The largest crystal is the most complete of the lot, and shows the best orthorhombic prismatic form where intact- its edges are quite well-defined, and its faces are clean and possess the standard pearly-to-vitreous luster. All have the classic bright yellow of Sulfur, and they are generally transparent, though all are heavily internally-fractured. The base rock on which they rest is made up primarily of many tiny, intergrown calcite scalenohedra, but there is also some brown material that might simply be more, dirty calcite.

Dims: 2.2 x 1.6 x 1.2" (5.6 x 4. x 3.0 cm)

Wt: 1.46 oz. (41.6 g)

Vodninskoye Mine, Samara, Russia

Three Sulfur crystals rest on the brown, calcareous host rock of this thumbnail specimen. Only one of these, however, is more than 50% complete, and it is much larger than the others, so I will concentrate on it. It has dimensions of 0.8 x 0.6 x 0.4" (2.0 x 1.5 x 1.0 cm) and is rather badly damaged and missing a portion of one end. Its orthorhombic prismatic form is very good, though, with well-defined edges and clean faces that possess a pearly luster. The crystal has the standard bright yellow coloration and is transparent and quite clear, though it does contain several internal flaws or inclusions. The brown base on which it rests is made up of countless small, intergrown calcite crystals, almost all of which are heavily damaged.

Dims: 2.6 x 2.1 x 1.7" (6.6 x 5.3 x 4.3 cm)

Wt: 3.65 oz. (103.6 g)

Baja, California, Mexico

Several dozen tiny native Sulfur crystals rest on the chalky, white base of this hand specimen. These crystals do not exceed 0.2" (5 mm) in length or diameter and are in good condition, though the most exposed ones are visibly damaged. All have good orthorhombic prismatic form and the classic bright yellow color of their species, and show a bright, near-vitreous luster.

Dims: 3.7 x 2.0 x 1.7" (9.4 x 5.1 x 4.3 cm)

Wt: 9.5 oz. (270 g)

Agrigento, Sicily, Italy

Many small native Sulfur crystals are embedded in the white calcite matrix of this piece. All of the exposed ones are damaged or broken, but a crevice has shielded a few, which are in excellent condition. The largest of these has visible dimensions of 0.5 x 0.3 x 0.2" (1.3 x 0.7 x 0.5 cm). All that are intact show excellent orthorhombic bipyramidal form and possess the bright yellow color and subadamantine luster that are common for Sulfur. They are translucent and are surrounded by countless tiny calcite crystals.

Dims: 2.7 x 2.5 x 2.0" (6.9 x 6.4 x 5.1 cm)

Wt: 3.61 oz. (102.4 g)

Baja, California, Mexico

A few dozen tiny native Sulfur crystals rest on the chalky, pale yellow base of this hand specimen. The crystals do not exceed 0.1" (3 mm) in length or diameter and are generally in good condition, showing little damage. They are rather heavily intergrown, however, warping their orthorhombic prismatic forms and causing near "hopper effects" on others. They have the classic bright yellow coloration and pearly luster of their species, and though they are small they appear to be essentially translucent.

Dims: 3.9 x 2.7 x 2.3" (9.9 x 6.8 x 5.8 cm)

Wt: 6.50 oz. (184.3 g)

Baja, California, Mexico

Scores of tiny Native Sulfur crystals rest on the chalky white host rock of this hand specimen. These crystals do not exceed 0.1" (3 mm) in diameter and are generally in good condition, though several in one area are noticeably crushed. Their orthorhombic prismatic form appears to be good, though they are rather heavily intergrown in most areas, and their bright yellow color and pearly luster are standard for their species. They are generally translucent, though a few are dimly transparent. More massive Sulfur coats other areas of the host rock.

Dims: 3.6 x 2.7 x 2.1" (9.1 x 6.9 x 5.3 cm)

Wt: 5.60 oz. (158.9 g)

Baja, California, Mexico

This hand specimen consists of a small druse of tiny Sulfur crystals that rest on a heavily sulfurous base. These crystals do not exceed 0.1" (3 mm) in length or diameter but are in very good condition. Though they are rather heavily intergrown, they have good orthorhombic form. All have the classic bright yellow color and a pearly luster, and are transparent and moderately to very clear.

Dims: 1.2 x 0.5 x 0.5" (3.0 x 1.3 x 1.2 cm)

Wt: 5.7 g w/ specimen box

near San Felipe, Baja, California, Mexico

A somewhat warped Sulfur prism makes up this thumbnail specimen. The crystal is in very good condition, showing almost no damage, and has reasonably good orthorhombic form with definite "skeletal" formations that extend into it. Its bright yellow color and greasy luster are standard for the species, and it is transparent and dimly clear. There is no host rock present, and the crystal is affixed inside a plastic specimen box.

Dims: 1.6 x 0.5 x 0.4" (4.0 x 1.3 x 1.0 cm)

Wt: 3 g

near Silverpeak, Esmeralda County, Nevada, U.S.A.

This thumbnail specimen appears to consist of a single Sulfur interpenetration twin. It is in very good condition, showing light damage in one area, and has well-defined but disseminated orthorhombic bipyramidal form- aberrant growing conditions have caused several inconsistencies in structure, and I think at least one instance of twinning. The crystal has the normal bright yellow color and a bright pearly luster, and is transparent but cloudy. There is no base or host material present.

Dims: 0.8 x 0.8 x 0.7" (2.1 x 1.9 x 1.7 cm)

Wt: 4 g

Raccalmuto, near Girgenti, Sicily, Italy

Several partly-intergrown Sulfur crystals rest on the white base material of this thumbnail piece. The largest of these crystals measures 0.6 x 0.5 x 0.4" (1.4 x 1.3 x 0.9 cm), and like the others, it is in good condition but is lightly damaged. Their orthorhombic prismatic form is excellent. All have the bright yellow color that is common for this specie and pearly luster, and all are transparent and moderately clear. The piece has come loose from its mount inside a plastic specimen box, but can be easily re-attached.

Dims: 3.1 x 1.2 x 0.9" (7.9 x 3.0 x 2.4 cm)

Wt: 0.7 oz. (20 g)

Napa Volcano, Potosi Department, Bolivia

This large Native Sulfur crystal is in excellent condition, showing almost no fresh damage. Its orthorhombic dipyramidal form is badly warped, and a skeletal "hopper" effect is visible on each face. It has the classic bright yellow coloration and a bright pearly to greasy luster, and is transparent and dimly clear due to its many internal flaws. There is no host rock of any form present.

Dims: 2.7 x 1.1 x 0.9" (6.9 x 2.8 x 2.3 cm)

Wt: 0.7 oz. (20 g)

Napa Volcano, Potosi Department, Bolivia

This partial Native Sulfur crystal is in very good condition, showing little damage, and has an incomplete and warped orthorhombic dipyramidal form. Its faces are stepped due to a skeletal, or "hopper" effect, and show a bright pearly to greasy luster. Its bright yellow color is standard for the specie, and though it is transparent, its clarity is all but destroyed by internal flaws. There is no base or host material present.

Dims: 3.2 x 1.5 x 0.9" (8.0 x 3.9 x 2.4 cm)

Wt: 1.0 oz. (29 g)

Napa Volcano, Potosi Department, Bolivia

This cabinet specimen consists of a large, partial Native Sulfur crystal. It appears to be in very good condition, showing little damage, but has a highly warped and incomplete orthorhombic dipyramidal form. Each face is stepped in a skeletal effect, and there are several uneven, nearly curved edges and faces, denoting further loss of symmetry. The Sulfur has the classic bright yellow color and a pearly to greasy luster, and is transparent but intensely internally flawed and/or fractured. There is no host material present.

Dims:3.1x1.6x1.3" (7.9x4.1x3.3 cm)

Wt: 3.2oz. (93g)

Baja California, Mexico

Numerous crystals of sulfur are found on this specimen. These crystals formed on top of radiating clusters of tiny celestite crystals. The sulfur crystals reach nearly 0.2" (0.5cm) in length, and show excellent orthorhombic form. Cavities in the matrix rock also contain sulfur crystals. There is only minor damage to this specimen.

Dims: 3.9x3.7x2.7" (9.8x9.4x6.8 cm)

Wt: 19.8 oz. (561g)

Vodninskoye Mine, Samara, Russia

This is a very nice cabinet specimen of sulfur. While the pictures focus on the largest crystal (which measures 24mm in length), the other side of the specimen has several additional crystals with excellent form, luster, and clarity. In addition, the host rock is nearly covered by hundreds of small sulfur crystals (many broken). This rock sparkles a lot, and it is difficult to tell whether most of that sparkle comes from sulfur crystals or from the numerous calcite crystals that also adorn the specimen.

Dims: 4.45x3.63x2.34" (11.30x9.22x5.95cm)

Wt: 18.52oz (524g)

Vodino, Samara region, Russia

This specimen displays several minerals. The most obvious are transparent yellow sulfur crystals, most of do not show good crystalline form (having distorted shapes and a dull luster), although some crystals do have good vitreous faces and a near-vitrous luster. There is also quite a bit of pale blue celestite crystals present, and these, too, tend to have a dull surface, although most of them have good crystal form. The host rock also has at least two other minerals which I have not identified. The first are several prism shaped crystals, the largest of which measures about 1cm in length and is clear and colorless. The smaller crystals look like barite, so there is a good chance that these are simply more celestite but colorless and with a different habit. Lastly, there is a section on the side of the specimen that fluoresces pale yellow under LW and pale blue-white under SW UV.

Dims: 5.04x3.61x1.69" (12.81x9.16x4.29cm)

Wt: 23.75oz (672g)

Machow, Poland

This cabinet specimen displays translucent yellow crystals of sulfur on most of one side. The crystals are a dirty-yellow color, and a loupe reveals a dusting of black minerals on all of the surfaces. Still, they have a vitreous luster and this specimen sparkles nicely. There are also a few patches of dirty gray translucent crystals, which look like calcite (although the origin of this specimen makes calcite unlikely). The host rock is pieces of a tough gray rock intergrown with massive sulfur. This specimen, naturally enough, smells strongly of sulfur.

Dims: 4.50x3.04x1.46" (11.42x7.71x3.71cm)

Wt: 6.68oz (189.5g)

Vodinskoye, Samara, Russia

A half-dozen sulfur crystals are displayed in the cavities of the host rock. They are transparent, some extremely so. All of the larger crystals show some damage, while the smaller ones generally look perfect. The ones in the middle are deeper in color, while the ones on the edges of the cluster are much lighter. The host rock appears to be calcite, some of which display excellent (but small) doubly-terminated rhombohedral crystals. Of special note is a tiny black inclusion on one of the sulfur crystals. A loupe shows it as a black, branched structure whose root is embedded in the sulfur, and which has a black fiber threaded through its "branches" (which are tiny).

Dims: 1.67x1.52x0.89" (4.23x3.86x2.27cm)

Wt: 1.03oz (29.3g)

Vodinskoye, Samara, Russia

This specimen displays dozens of highly transparent yellow sulfur crystals with excellent form, although only two are relatively large (the largest measuring 16mm in length). And these two show some damage (just a little on the largest). The sulfur crystals seem to come in two colors - a pure yellow and a bright lemon-yellow. The finest individual crystals are in pockets on the bottom. The crystals have a vitreous luster generally dulled slightly by what looks like fine scratches, especially the larger crystals. There are a few internal fractures visible in the largest crystals.