Detailed information
Species
Polyhalite, Gypsum
Dimensions
67 x 57 x 45
mm
Weight
230 g
Locality
Kohnstein Quarry Niedersachswerfen, Harztor Nordhausen District, Thuringia, Germany
Condition
No recorded repairs
Polyhalite, as the name suggests, is a 'salt' mineral formed within evaporite deposits, but it contains a complex chemistry - containing potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulphur. The recent target of many chemical companies, its broad range of elements fundamental to the promotion of growth in plants makes it a perfect fertilizer. However, it usually occurs in massive beds rather than discrete crystals. Kohnstein quarry, Niedersachswerfen, Harztor, Nordhausen District, Thuringia, Germany is one of very few places where crystals are found. At the quarry, Polyhalite occurs occasionally, as snow-white spherical masses on glassy Gypsum, var. Selenite crystals. This small cabinet specimen displays four spherical Polyhalite aggregates ranging from 1 cm to 0.5 cm in diameter on Selenite upon a fine-grained matrix of probable Anhydrite. The Polyhalite displays really nicely and shows no sign of damage.