Celestine

specimen number:
1052447

location:
Agrigento, Sicily, Italy

description:
Classic Sicilian specimen with pale blue lustrous crystals of Celestine covering the top of a thin matrix. This is in very good condition. Brightly fluorescent, the specimen comes with an antique label as shown at the end of the video and dates to the very early 20th century.

Agrigento, located on the southern coast of Sicily, Italy, has a long history of mining activity primarily related to sulfur deposits that were extensively worked from the 19th into the early 20th century. The region is characterized by sedimentary rocks formed in evaporitic environments, where sulfur was deposited through biological and chemical processes in association with gypsum and other minerals. Mining was carried out through underground methods, often under difficult and hazardous conditions, and the sulfur industry became an important part of the local economy during its peak. Sicilian sulfur was widely exported for use in industry, including the production of sulfuric acid. Over time, competition from other sources and changes in industrial processes led to the decline of sulfur mining in the region. Today, Agrigento is known for its historical significance and as part of the broader story of sulfur mining in Sicily.

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