Spanish Selenite from Zaragoza

Zaragoza lies in northeastern Spain’s Aragon, at the heart of the Ebro Basin. During the Cenozoic the basin subsided and its lakes evaporated, leaving thick deposits of gypsum and salts. Local quarries dig for carvable alabaster, and in the same gypsum beds they have unexpectedly produced world-class selenite crystals.

The selenite here is bright and transparent with a strong glassy luster, ranging from colorless to soft champagne and pale amber, with flat, clean faces and frequent crossed twins. Crystals typically grow on pure white gypsum host rock, topped with fine, sparkling druses like a delicate layer of frosting.