Gypsum is a mineral composed of calcium sulfate dehydrate. Calcium sulfate, also known as anhydrite, transforms into the more common gypsum when it absorbs water. This is apparent in gypsum specimens with crumpled layers showing their expansion due to the addition of water.
Instructions
1. Look at specific types of gypsum. A transparent, cleavable crystal of gypsum may be called selenite. Alabaster is a finely-grained, lightly tinted variety of gypsum that is highly valued for sculptures.
2. Learn the basic physical properties. Pure gypsum is white with gray, brown and various shades of red being common colors of impure specimens. It has a hardness of 2 on the Mohr scale and a density of 2.3 to 2.4 times that of water.
3. Study the more unusual properties of gypsum. The most obvious of these is the formation of large, intact crystals without breaks or distortions. Gypsum crystals also flexible and can be bent slightly. Some specimens contain a water bubble that was trapped in the crystal when it formed which are highly prized by collectors.
4. Examine Desert Rose gypsum. This can occur when the gypsum forms in a sandy area and traps sand grains. The specimen becomes an opaque brown and the sand inclusions form a rosette shape.
5. Locate noteworthy deposits of gypsum. It is very common but especially large crystals are found in Bologna and Pavia, Italy. The best examples of Desert Rose gypsum are found in the Sahara Desert of Africa and the Maravilla Mine in Mexico has a cavern with enormous perfect crystals of gypsum.
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