Gypsum with Celestine

specimen number:
2013627

location:
Lexington Quarry Company Catnip Hill quarry, Jessamine Co., Kentucky, USA

description:

Large colorless double terminated crystals of gypsum across the top of matrix with a spray of light blue Celestine crystals. Very slight micro-damage present, this still in very good condition and outstanding for the species and locality.

The Lexington Quarry Company Catnip Hill quarry, located in Jessamine County, Kentucky, is an active limestone operation that has become a significant site for regional mineralogical study. Geologically, the quarry is situated within the Middle Ordovician High Bridge Group, specifically exposing the Camp Nelson Limestone and the Oregon Formation, which are dense, fine-grained carbonate rocks. This locality is known for producing distinctive mineral specimens within its vugs and fractures, most notably clear to white gypsum crystals, occurring as both selenite and alabaster, and pale blue to colorless celestine (celestite). These minerals likely precipitated from sulfate-rich brines that moved through the limestone during the late stages of the Appalachian Orogeny. Historically, the quarry was established in the mid-20th century, with operations expanding significantly under the Lexington Quarry Company from the 1960s to the present day. While its primary output is crushed stone and aggregate for central Kentucky infrastructure, it remains a notable site for understanding the sedimentary mineralogy of the Bluegrass region.

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