NATIVE SULPHUR

This terrific example of well-crystallized Native Sulphur is from a rarely encountered locality in the Gaurdak basin within the Lebap region of Turkmenistan. This Late Jurassic marine basin’s evaporate deposit contains all the usual suspects including Halite, Anhydrite, Celestine and Gypsum. The translucent to opaque Native Sulphur forms as rich sulphur-yellow crystals, the largest to 4.4 cm in length, right down to those just a few millimetres across and all cemented together by a chalky white supporting matrix of either Alumohydrocalcite or Para-alumohydrocalcite. If the latter, then this is from its Type Locality. The Native Sulphur crystals have a waxy to slightly glassy lustre. The largest crystal is damaged at one end, although its overall shape is still good. There are, however, many really well-formed smaller crystals too, and how often do you come across a well-crystallized Native Sulphur from Turkmenistan?