Gypsum var: Selenite (HUGE crystal!)

Item Description

Without question, the largest examples of crystallized Gypsum are those from the famed Naica Mine in Mexico. The renowned "Cave of Swords" and "Giant Crystal Cave" feature incredibly large crystals, with individual examples measuring up to 11.40 meters (approximately 37.4 feet) long. With that said, this piece is incredibly large for a collector specimen, as it weighs close to a full kilo (840 grams = nearly 2 pounds) and measures a whopping 50 cm (19 inches) long! It's not just a big "clunker" either, it's remarkably gemmy with a gentle light smoky to virtually colorless hue, and features well-formed crystal faces on all sides. The termination is in great condition, though a few small forgivable bruises here and there prevent the piece from being completely pristine. Additionally, if you look down the crystal lengthwise, you can see there is a slight "bend" near the termination, which is not uncommon for Gypsum as the material is very soft, and can actually bend under its own weight. A truly impressive example of these older crystals (found 1960s-1970s) and would make a stellar addition to any collection. How often have you seen a SINGLE crystal of any mineral this size!?
From the collection of Armon McPherson, a retired physicist, now living in New Mexico. Armon received his PhD from North Carolina State University in 1985, and worked at the laser laboratory at the University of Illinois at Circle Center. In the summer of 1997, Armon moved to the Argonne National Laboratory where he worked at the Advanced Photon Source, then the world’s largest synchrotron facility dedicated as an x-ray source. In 2001, he was asked to join a team at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque to conduct laser research for DARPA. Finally, staying within Sandia, he transferred to the Z Facility, the world’s most powerful x-ray facility. He retired in the spring of 2017. Armon's introduction to mineral collecting came in the 1980s during graduate school when he attended his first mineral show. He took up the hobby of faceting gems, and focused his early collection on gem crystals, and later transitioned into collecting non-gem species. We are proud to offer specimens from his worldwide mineral collection here for you.