Mineralpedia Details for Celestine
Celestine
Named in reference to the mineral’s usual pale blue color after the Latin word caelestis, meaning “celestial.” Celestine is the most common strontium mineral and can be found in many widespread localities all over the world. Particularly large and fine crystals can be found in the United States, most notably at the Crystal Cave in Ohio which is the world’s largest geode, as well as in Canada, Mexico, Italy, Germany, England, Norway, Egypt, and Madagascar. Celestine occurs of sedimentary origin as diagenetic or fissure and cavity fillings, as well as in hydrothermal veins and in volcanic rocks. Celestine is the strontium analogue of baryte.
Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/celestine.pdf
- Formula
- SrSO4
- Crystal System
- Orthorhombic
- Crystal Habit
- Crystalline - Coarse, Massive, Granular
- Cleavage
- Perfect, Good, None
- Luster
- Vitreous (Glassy)
- Color
- blue, brown, colorless, green, gray
- Streak
- white
- Class
- Orthorhombic - Dipyramidal
- Fracture
- Brittle - Conchoidal
- Hardness
- 3-3.5
- WebMineral
- View Celestine
- Mindat
- View Celestine
Celestine from N'Chwaning I mine, Kalahari Mn fields, Northern Cape Province, South Africa
- Special Info
- Phillips Collection
Light blue prismatic crystals of Celestine to over 1cm scattered on matrix. Nice piece. They say Celestine from N'chwaning mines are barium rich.
Celestine from Agrigento, Sicily, Italy
Lustrous, pure white Celestine crystals to 2cm set on matrix with yellow crystalline Sulphur on the backside.
Celestine from Pugh quarry, Wood Co., Ohio, United States
Blue Celestine crystals and light honey-colored Calcite points to over 1cm.
Celestine from Meckley's quarry, Pennsylvania, United States
Blue, well formed tabular Celestine crystals to over 1cm with straited faces set on matrix covered in white Quartz.
Celestine from Lime City, Wood Co., Ohio, United States
Light blue tabular crystals of celestine to 2.5cm encrusted over with Strontianite.
Celestine from St. Joe No. 3 mine, Balmat, St. Lawrence Co., New York, United States
Unusual divergent and bladed habit for Celestine.
Celestine from Woodville, Sandusky Co., Ohio, United States
Light bluish white thin tabular crystals to 3cm long. It's a nice specimen exhibiting good tabular crystals with squared terminations.
Celestine from Briar Plant Gypsum mine, Howard Co., Arkansas, United States
Large light blue 1cm,complex crystals with several smaller on light yellow finer Celestine. These were found quite a while ago by the "Coon Creek Association" of which Don Owens was a member.
Celestine from Caledon, Ontario, Canada
Unusual orange Celestine in long plates to 4cm in matrix which is sawed flat on the base. The specimen was aquired in an exchange with Gunnar Bjareby in 1962.
