Gypsum

specimen number:
2292328

location:
Rancho Pascal, Durango, Mexico

description:
An attractive curling grouping of crystallized gypsum coming off matrix. These are often referred to as Rams Horn selenite. In great condition all around. Choice matrix example.

Ram's horn selenite is a curved habit of gypsum that typically forms in dry cave environments or abandoned mine passages. It grows as pressurized, sulfate-rich water is forced through porous rock walls, crystallizing upon contact with the air. Because the growth rate at the base of the crystal is uneven, often due to varying pressure or minor impurities on one side, the growing column is forced to bend and twist as it extrudes outward. This continuous, uneven extrusion creates helical, coiled structures resembling the horn of a ram.

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