Gypsum (RARE Egypt tunnel dig - 1981)

Item Description

RARE and bizarre looking floater gypsum from the 1.63 km long, two lane automotive Ahmed Hamdi I Tunnel beneath the Suez Canal in Egypt. Stacked plates of pearlescent, clay-included gypsum are dramatically highlighted by the 3.1 cm disk rising above one face of the piece. The translucent edges add much character. It looks like a strange flying saucer. Complete all-around and essentially pristine, with only trivial edge wear. Amazing for such a soft mineral. The Tunnel was constructed in 1981 and rehabilitated in 1992 (Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Hamdi_Tunnel). MINDAT does NOT list the locality. Exotic and rare Egypt gypsum. We obtained a small lot sold by a former mining engineer there.