Celestina
Celestina is a mineral with formula SrSO₄, in the Sulfatos group. This specimen comes from Sakoany, Katsepi, Mitsinjo, Boeny, Madagascar.
Description
Large blue specimen with a very large flat crystal on one side.
About Celestina
Celestine is a strontium sulfate chemically related to baryte and anglesite. Barium and Lead sulfates respectively. It usually forms in sedimentary rock cavities and is highly valued for its striking, transparent blue crystals. It is a remarkably dense and heavy mineral for its size, yet very fragile, with a hardness of just 3. It is also the main strontium ore.
About the locality
Discovered in 1967, the Sakoany deposit at Katsepy (Boeny) has become the classic Madagascan source of blue celestine, yielding tonnes of pale to medium blue specimens. Although digging initially began beside the seashore, it later shifted a few hundred metres inland to slightly higher ground (+15 m); today the workings comprise numerous small, irregular pits up to 15 metres deep.
Technical data
- Catalogue No.
- 0576
- Composition
- SrSO₄
- Name
- Celestina
- Group
- Sulfatos
- Mine
- Sakoany
- District / Municipality
- Katsepi
- Province
- Mitsinjo
- Region
- Boeny
- Country
- Madagascar
- Etymology
- Originally dubbed "fibrous heavy spar", in 1797 Martin Klaproth renamed it "schwefelsaurer strontianite aus Pennsylvania" ('sulphated strontianite from Pennsylvania'). Its definitive name came in 1798 from Abraham Gottlieb Werner, who called it in German "zoelestin" ('celestine'); the term derives from the Greek "cœlestis" ('celestial' or 'sky-blue'), in reference to the pale blue tone of the original specimen.
- Quality
- Buena
- Value trend
- Estable
Related specimens
- Barita — España
- Barita — Italia
- Barita (Amarilla) — Italia
- Celestina — Madagascar
- Euxenita-(Y) — Madagascar
- Yeso (Lapis Specularis) — España
- Estaurolita — Madagascar
- Yeso — España