Celestine variety Sand Celestine

The locality at Mount Ungoza in Mangystau Province, Kazakhstan, is famous for just one mineral, the strontium sulphate Celestine.  As this large miniature/small cabinet specimen aptly demonstrates, the Celestine forms perfect crystals in intergrown groups, usually double terminated and sharply crystallised.  The prisms are included with very fine-grained limey sand which imparts a cream to light grey opaqueness giving them their Mt. Ungoza trademark look.  The longest crystal in this group measures 6.2 cm.  A superb example of sand included Celestine from Mt. Ungoza.