Intrepid Potash East Mine, Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA

A large and relatively complete crystal of blue halite from this old, classic locale, showing deep color and unusually good size for here. I think all faces certainly are legitimate and show the slight imperfections you would expect of natural cubic faces, including a few small dings; and the piece is then complete all around except the backside. Joe Budd photos. Note added From the CalTech website courtesy Dr. George Rossman: http://minerals.caltech.edu: Blue halite is the result of exposure to natural radiation. Initially, if halite (common salt) is exposed to gamma radiation, it turns amber because of F-centers. They are mostly electrons trapped at sites of missing Cl- ions. In time the electrons migrate to Na+ ions and reduce it to Na metal. Atoms of Na metal, in turn, migrate to form colloidal sized aggregrates of sodium metal. They are the cause of the blue color.Buy now from The Arkenstone

To purchase this mineral you need to click the button above to transfer to the dealer's website. This will open in a new window. Price shown here does not include shipping costs, always confirm price on dealer website before ordering.

Click on photos to view larger versions.

All photos for this item are copyright © The Arkenstone and may not be used for any other purpose without permission.

---

See Also: