Celestine was formerly known as Celestite...
A cluster of prismatic Celestine crystals.
An
intergrowth of tabular crystals.
Part of a
Celestine lined vug in a shale from Chittenango Falls, New York.
Celestine
geode from Morocco. The geode is about 13 inches across. The picture
on the right is a close-up view of the crystal in the bottom right of the geode.
CHEMISTRY SrSO4 Strontium sulfate
CRYSTALLOGRAPHY Orthorhombic
CRYSTAL GROWTH AND HABITS Celestine is dipyramidal, commonly tabular and prismatic but it can also be fibrous or granular.
COLOR AND OTHER OPTICAL PROPERTIES Celestine is commonly light blue, but also colorless, white or light red, transparent to translucent.
HARDNESS 3 - 3.5
SPECIFIC GRAVITY 3.9 - 4
LUSTER Vitreous to pearly
STREAK White
BREAKABILITY Celestine has basal and prismatic cleavage, uneven fracture
OCCURRENCE Celestine is found as small deposits in pockets in limestone and sandstone.
ASSOCIATED MINERALS Calcite, Dolomite, Gypsum, Halite, Fluorite Sulfur