Glauberite
specimen number:
2102315
location:
Camp Verde, Yavapai Co., Arizona, USA
description: The Camp Verde salt deposit, located in Yavapai County, Arizona, is a remarkable evaporite sequence situated within the Miocene-age Verde Formation. Geologically, the deposit formed in a playa lake environment where high evaporation rates in a closed basin led to the precipitation of various sulfate and halide minerals, including halite, thenardite, and glauberite. Glauberite, a sodium calcium sulfate, typically occurs here as sharp, monoclinic crystals ranging from translucent gray to tan, often found as individual "floaters" or clusters within the marly clay sediments. Historically, the site has a long record of human use, beginning with indigenous peoples who mined the salt for trade and consumption. Industrial mining and quarrying activities for sodium sulfate were most prominent during the early 20th century, particularly between 1920 and 1933, when the Western Chemicals Company operated a processing plant to supply material for the paper and glass industries. While large-scale commercial extraction ended in the 1930s due to competition from more economical sources, the Camp Verde locality remains world-famous among mineralogists for its high-quality glauberite crystals and the distinctive pseudomorphs of calcite and aragonite that have replaced them over geological time.
A loose floater cluster of sharp glauberite crystals without matrix. In great condition.
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