Celestina
Celestina is a mineral with formula SrSO₄, in the Sulfatos group. This specimen comes from Cabezo Hurchillo, Arneva, Orihuela, Alicante, España and joined the Terrium collection in 2006.
Description
Large prismatic crystal of celestine, transparent to translucent, with vitreous lustre and elongated columnar habit. Well-defined pinacoidal termination and vertically striated faces. Stepped growth and small secondary crystals at the base. Strong reaction under UV light, showing whitish-blue luminescence.
About Celestina
Celestine is a strontium sulphate that crystallises in the orthorhombic system, forming tabular or prismatic crystals. Its name derives from the sky-blue colour it often shows, though it may be colourless or white. At Arneva, very transparent specimens are known, phosphorescent under UV light.
About the locality
At Cabezo Hurchillo, beside the Tagus–Segura water transfer, veins of gypsum and celestine were formerly worked. The crystals grew in cavities within Miocene marls and gypsum, at times exceeding 20 cm. The deposit, now inaccessible, is surrounded by security measures and virtually exhausted.
Technical data
- Catalogue No.
- 0208
- Composition
- SrSO₄
- Name
- Celestina
- Group
- Sulfatos
- Category
- Estélites
- Mine
- Cabezo Hurchillo
- District / Municipality
- Arneva
- Province
- Orihuela
- Region
- Alicante
- Country
- España
- Size (cm)
- 6.2 x 1 x 0.8
- Weight
- 25.5 g
- Acquired
- 2006
- Ex-collection
- Ángel García
- Etymology
- From Latin caelestis, "celestial", after the pale blue colour of some specimens.
- Quality
- Buena
- Value trend
- Estable
Related specimens
- Abellaíta — España
- Abernathyita — España
- Abernathyita — España
- Abernathyita — España
- Aerenita — España
- Aerinita (fibrosa) — España
- Analcima — España
- Analcima — España