Gypsum Archives - Cochise College Geology

Gypsum

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Chemical Group: Sulfate

Chemical Formula: CaSO₄.H₂O

Color: Colorless, white, gray, yellowish, pink

Hardness: 2 Specific Gravity: 2.32

Transparency: Transparent to translucent

Cleavage: 1 direction, very good

Crystal Forms and Habits: Monoclinic system. Forms single crystals, crystal clusters that resemble roses, fibrous (satinspar), massive. Twin crystals are known as swallowtail twins

Uses: Used for making Plaster of Paris.

Toxicity: When-swallowed: low When-inhaled: moderate

Additional Information: Gypsum comes from the Greek word for gypsum, gypsos. Gypsum is hydrous calcium sulfate. When it occurs in a clear, transparent form, it is also known as selenite. When gypsum is allow to crystallize in an unrestricted environment, it forms the typical shapes seen below.

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Gypsum 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77

gypsum-selenite-mine-Glass Mountain Utah — Gypsum-Selenite-Mine-Glass Mountain Utah

gypsum-selenite-mud inclusions — Gypsum-Selenite-Mud Inclusions

gypsum-selenite-radiating acicular crystal clusters-Australia — Gypsum-Selenite-Radiating Acicular Crystal Clusters-Australia

gypsum-selenite-pseudomorph — Gypsum-Selenite-Pseudomorph

gypsum-crystal cluster with sand inclusions — Gypsum-Crystal Cluster With Sand Inclusions

gypsum-desert rose crystal cluster — Gypsum-Desert Rose Crystal Cluster

gypsum-desert rose crystal clusters — Gypsum-Desert Rose Crystal Clusters

gypsum-hourglass crystal with sand inclusions — Gypsum-Hourglass Crystal With Sand Inclusions

gypsum-satinspar-satinspar-white fibrous — Gypsum-Satinspar-Satinspar-White Fibrous

gypsum-light pinkish brown-massive — Gypsum-Light Pinkish Brown-Massive

gypsum-satinspar-white fibrous — Gypsum-Satinspar-White Fibrous

gypsum-selenite sheet from mine-Glass Mountain Utah — Gypsum-Selenite Sheet From Mine-Glass Mountain Utah

gypsum-selenite sheets from mine-Glass Mountain Utah — Gypsum-Selenite Sheets From Mine-Glass Mountain Utah

gypsum-selenite sheets from Glass Mountain Utah — Gypsum-Selenite Sheets From Glass Mountain Utah

gypsum-selenite-cleavage fragment — Gypsum-Selenite-Cleavage Fragment

gypsum-selenite-cluster of transparent crystals — Gypsum-Selenite-Cluster Of Transparent Crystals

gypsum-selenite-colorless white elongated crystals-China — Gypsum-Selenite-Colorless White Elongated Crystals-China

gypsum-selenite-colorless crystal — Gypsum-Selenite-Colorless Crystal

gypsum-selenite-colorless white elongated crystals — Gypsum-Selenite-Colorless White Elongated Crystals

gypsum-selenite-colorless crystal-texas — Gypsum-Selenite-Colorless Crystal-Texas

gypsum-selenite-crystal terminations — Gypsum-Selenite-Crystal Terminations

gypsum-selenite-dirt inclusions — Gypsum-Selenite-Dirt Inclusions

gypsum-selenite-hourglass crystal with sand inclusions-Oklahoma — Gypsum-Selenite-Hourglass Crystal With Sand Inclusions-Oklahoma

gypsum-selenite-Mexico — Gypsum-Selenite-Mexico

gypsum-selenite-light yellow crystal — Gypsum-Selenite-Light Yellow Crystal

gypsum-selenite-swallowtail twinned crystals — Gypsum-Selenite-Swallowtail Twinned Crystals

gypsum-selenite-transparent cleavage fragment — Gypsum-Selenite-Transparent Cleavage Fragment

gypsum-selenite-transparent cleavage fragment-New York — Gypsum-Selenite-Transparent Cleavage Fragment-New York

gypsum-selenite-transparent cleavage fragments — Gypsum-Selenite-Transparent Cleavage Fragments

gypsum-selenite-transparent crystal — Gypsum-Selenite-Transparent Crystal

gypsum-selenite-water with air bubble inclusion within crystal — Gypsum-Selenite-Water With Air Bubble Inclusion Within Crystal

gypsum-selenite-white elongated crystals-China — Gypsum-Selenite-White Elongated Crystals-China

gypsum-selinite-crystalline — Gypsum-Selinite-Crystalline

gypsum-white alabaster-massive — Gypsum-White Alabaster-Massive

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