Selenite “Sand” Crystals - Great Salt Plains, Jet, Oklahoma, USA

 The Great Salt Plains near Jet, Oklahoma are famous for their "hour-glass" selenite crystals, but have you ever seen any that look like this masterpiece? This is an impressive cluster of "sand crystals" where the selenite has been heavily coated in sand grains as it grew in the sediments. 

This substantial specimen features an intricate arrangement of broad, intersecting selenite crystals, forming a dramatic three-dimensional structure. The specimen is particularly notable for the coarse grain size of the sand particles, giving them a distinctive granular texture and warm beige coloration. Their overlapping, blade-like forms create an almost sculptural appearance, with numerous intersecting surfaces and open spaces throughout the cluster. There is one spot, buried in the middle of the cluster, where I believe a single, small blade may have broken off but it is not noticeable. 

The specimen's impressive size, complex crystal arrangement and distinctive natural texture make it an excellent display piece and a particularly interesting example of this classic American mineral occurrence.

Minerals: Gypsum (variety selenite) coated with coarse-grained sand
Locality: Grain Salt Plains, Jet, Oklahoma, USA
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Mineral Class: Sulfate
Provenance: Ex Bill Rouslin Collection #499
Dimensions: 23 x 14 x 15 cm