Desert rose
Rock / aggregate
Desert rose is rosette-shaped clusters of gypsum or baryte crystals with included sand. It is a polycrystalline material rather than a single mineral species; its dominant component is Gypsum.
Photos
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About Gypsum (major)
Full reference data — crystallography, X-ray diffraction, and cited physical properties — is on the Gypsum species page.
| Formula | Ca(SO4)ยท2H2O |
|---|---|
| Hardness (Mohs) | 2 |
| Density (calculated) | 2.31 |
| Crystal system | monoclinic |
| Streak | white |
About Baryte (major)
Full reference data — crystallography, X-ray diffraction, and cited physical properties — is on the Baryte species page.
| Formula | Ba(SO4) |
|---|---|
| Hardness (Mohs) | 2.5-3.5 |
| Specific gravity | 4.3-4.6 |
| Density (calculated) | 4.47 |
| Crystal system | orthorhombic |
| Color range | colorless |
| Luster | pearly, resinous, vitreous |
| Streak | white |