Selenite, satin spar, desert rose, gypsum flower are crystal habit varieties of the mineral gypsum.
All varieties of gypsum, including selenite and alabaster, are composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate (meaning that it has two molecules of water), with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. Selenite contains no significant selenium – The similar names both derive from Greek selḗnē (σελήνη ´Moon´).
Some of the largest crystals ever found are of selenite, the largest specimen found in the Naica Mine´s Cave of the Crystals being 12 metres long and weighing 55 tons.
en
