Gypsum ("Desert Rose")

Item Description

A very eye-catching, full cabinet sized example from the Sahara Desert. This is a beautiful "desert rose" specimen featuring a group of sharp, compressed tabular crystals of Gypsum intergrown to form the classic "rose" shape. The brownish beige color is due to included colored sand particles. The largest crystal measures 3.5 cm across. The piece is in excellent shape overall, as it is complete on both sides with no major damage, though you can see some small contacts here and there. I actually purchased this piece in a small parcel directly from the man who mined it in Algeria. He was able to give me a more specific locality than "Sahara Desert", which is what we typically seen labeled on these pieces.