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Selenite

Moroccan orange points and freeforms, Brazilian gypsum blades grown on quartz, and cave crystal recovered in Chihuahua.

Buy Selenite and Satin Spar Gypsum: Moroccan Points, Brazilian Blades and Carved Towers

Selenite is the transparent crystalline variety of gypsum, a hydrated calcium sulfate that scores 2 on the Mohs scale and splits into mirror bright sheets along one perfect cleavage. Buyers shop this material in two registers, the crystallised specimen recovered from a cave or a geode pocket and the polished tower, wand or lamp turned from fibrous satin spar, and Astro Gallery of Gems names which of the two every listing holds. Astro Gallery weighs, photographs and prices each of the 36 pieces here as an individual object, because a mineral this soft carries its own history of handling.

Shop Selenite by Form, From Cabinet Blade to Carved Lamp

Form settles most of a gypsum purchase, since one mineral arrives on a shelf as a crystallised specimen, as a polished object, or as a lit lamp. Astro Gallery separates those routes on the listing, so the tier you choose fixes both the price and the handling a piece demands.

FormatWhat occupies it and who buys at that level
Polished point or tower, 1.7 to 2.5 lbsMoroccan orange gypsum ground to four faces and a soft apex, the tier that carries most first purchases because each piece stands unaided on a desk.
Polished freeform, around 2 to 2.2 lbsMoroccan material cut to follow its own outline instead of a geometric plan, which suits a shelf where a square base would read as imposed.
Blade on matrix, 2.45 to 13.6 lbsBrazilian gypsum blades seated on quartz or basalt from Rio Grande do Sul, bought as cabinet specimens where matrix and contact matter as much as the crystal.
Loose cave crystalTransparent Mexican individuals recovered from a working pocket, chosen for optical clarity and internal twinning rather than for shelf presence.
Satin spar wand, sphere or lampFibrous gypsum turned on a lathe or drilled for a low wattage bulb, priced as a finished object and the lightest format to post overseas.

Satin Spar or Selenite Proper: One Mineral Under Two Trade Names

Most towers, wands and lamps sold as selenite across the wider market are satin spar, the fibrous variety of the same gypsum species. Astro Gallery states the variety plainly on every description, since the two behave differently under light, under a lathe and under a wet cloth.

Satin spar, the fibrous varietyParallel gypsum fibres throw a moving silver band down a wand or a tower, which is why lapidaries choose satin spar for lamps, spheres and charging plates. The fibres also cut predictably, so satin spar carries the lower pricing and most of the gift buying here.
Selenite proper, the transparent crystalSelenite grows as clear tabular or bladed crystals with glassy faces and no fibre structure, which is what a cabinet collector pays for. Brazilian blades on quartz and Mexican cave individuals fall here, priced on clarity, termination and matrix.

Which Gypsum Deposits Feed These Listings

Gypsum forms wherever brine evaporates or sulfate rich water passes through limestone, so the commercial deposits sit in deserts, in old salt basins and inside flooded caves. Four sources account for everything Astro Gallery currently holds on this page.

Moroccan orange gypsumIron oxide staining from the deposits worked around Sefrou and Tazouta in the Middle Atlas gives this gypsum its amber to burnt orange body. Moroccan workshops cut it into points and freeforms of two pounds and up.
Saharan desert rosesRosettes from the Erfoud and Rissani sands grow blade by blade in damp sub surface layers, trapping quartz grains that dull the sheen. Barite forms similar rosettes, so Astro Gallery identifies the species rather than selling the shape.
Rio Grande do Sul, BrazilGypsum blades crystallise in the basalt flows of southern Brazil alongside the quartz and amethyst that region is mined for. Specimens arrive on quartz or host rock between two and a half and thirteen pounds, squarely in cabinet territory.
Chihuahua, MexicoThe Caverna de Santo Domingo at Aquiles Serdan and the flooded workings near Naica produced the transparent gypsum that made this species famous. Mexican crystals arrive as loose individuals, where clarity rather than weight decides value.

Order Selenite at the Figure Its Own Listing Carries

Each row below describes one physical piece photographed as it will arrive, and the price comes straight from the catalogue rather than from a printed schedule. A specimen that sells leaves this table instead of remaining as something you cannot add to cart.

PieceDetailPrice
Gypsum Var. Selenite on Matrix from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (2.5 lbs) 2.5 lbs $ 600.00
Gypsum Var. Selenite on Matrix from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (2.45 lbs) 2.45 lbs $ 600.00
Gypsum Var. Selenite on Quartz from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil See listing $ 450.00
Gypsum Var. Selenite on Quartz from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil See listing $ 200.00
Gypsum Var. Selenite on Quartz from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil See listing $ 200.00
Genuine Polished Orange Selenite Point from Morocco (1.7 lbs) 1.7 lbs $ 240.00
Every gypsum piece here is one of oneAstro Gallery photographs the individual specimen, records its weight, and holds the price on the listing through secure checkout.
View all 36 pieces Request photographs

Four Faults That Show in a Gypsum Photograph

Soft minerals collect damage on the way to a shelf, and gypsum records every incident. These four faults appear in the listing images rather than needing the piece in hand.

Lifted cleavage sheetsGypsum parts perfectly in one direction, so a knock lifts a thin sheet that catches light as a bright step across the face. Astro Gallery photographs those steps rather than shooting around them.
Water marks and dissolved edgesGypsum dissolves slowly in plain water, leaving a chalky bloom along an edge that was washed or left in a damp room. A frosted rim on an otherwise glassy blade is dissolution.
Fibre alignment on satin sparThe silver band on a wand travels cleanly only when the cutter kept the fibres parallel to the long axis. Angled fibres break that band into patches, which no polish corrects afterwards.
Colour honesty on orange materialNatural iron staining runs right through Moroccan gypsum and shows on a chipped corner as well as a polished face. Astro Gallery states any dye or stabilisation in the description.

Reading the Words on a Gypsum Label

Satin sparThe fibrous variety of gypsum, cut into wands, spheres and lamps because parallel fibres carry a moving silver reflection along the length of a piece.
Desert roseA rosette of intergrown blades that crystallised in damp sand, keeping sand grains inside the plates. Gypsum roses feel light for their size, while barite roses feel notably heavy.
Fishtail twinTwo gypsum crystals joined along a shared plane so the pair splays outward like a swallow tail, a habit the Mexican and Brazilian material produces regularly.
Perfect cleavageThe single plane along which gypsum separates into flat sheets under almost no force, which governs how a specimen must be packed, lifted and dusted.
AlabasterMassive fine grained gypsum without visible crystal faces, carved for bowls and lamps where a smooth translucent body matters more than crystal structure.
Hourglass seleniteCrystal carrying a dark internal wedge of trapped clay or sand, formed where growth outpaced the sediment around it and prized as an identification marker.

Water, Fingernails and a Mineral That Scores Two on Mohs

Gypsum sits at Mohs 2, below a fingernail at 2.5, so a blade marks under a thumbnail and a polished tower picks up a scuff from a ring or a watch strap. Water does the greater damage, since gypsum is slightly soluble and a rinsed surface dries chalky where the fibres have opened. Dust each piece dry with a soft brush, keep gypsum away from sinks, humid bathrooms and open windows, and never place a wand in an ultrasonic tank, a salt bowl or a bowl of water. Astro Gallery stores this material flat and dry, and packs it in the same condition it was catalogued in.

Towers on a Console, Roses as Gifts and the Vocabulary Buyers Bring

Two audiences reach this page and one set of documentation serves both. Interior buyers use a satin spar tower as a pale vertical accent against dark shelving, group desert roses in odd numbers on a console, or run a drilled lamp at low wattage so the fibres glow from within. Metaphysical buyers work from a different vocabulary altogether, describing selenite as a cleansing or charging stone, associating it with the crown chakra, and naming it after Selene, the Greek moon goddess whose name the mineral carries.

Astro Gallery of Gems catalogues these pieces as mineral specimens and decorative objects, records variety, weight and locality on every listing, and makes no health, healing or energetic claim for any of them. Teachers and parents buy the Brazilian blades for a different reason again, since a single specimen demonstrates cleavage and hardness better than any diagram.

Purchase, Packing and Delivery for a Crystal That Cleaves

The price on the listing is the figure charged at secure checkout, and payment settles through Shop Pay, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard, Discover or Diners Club. Before committing, ask our team for the height of a tower in inches, a raking light shot across a cleavage face, or the underside of a matrix specimen, and they will send those images the same working day rather than pointing you back at the listing.

Astro Gallery of Gems has packed soft minerals from its New York rooms since 1961, and gypsum receives the slowest treatment on the bench. We wrap each blade so no pressure lands on a cleavage plane, seat towers apex upward in cut foam, and double box anything above a pound. Every parcel leaves tracked and fully insured at its declared value with customs paperwork completed before dispatch, and the itemised invoice names the variety, the locality and the weight. Our returns policy and the guarantee published on about us cover each of those steps.

Ask for the cleavage faces firstAstro Gallery will photograph every side, edge and termination of a gypsum piece before you decide, usually within the same working day.
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Selenite Questions Answered Before Checkout

How much does a selenite tower cost?
Moroccan polished points and freeforms of around two pounds open the range, Brazilian blades on quartz occupy the middle, and the heaviest matrix specimens sit at the top. The live table above carries the current figure for every piece in stock, and each price belongs to that individual object.
Is satin spar the same thing as selenite?
Both are gypsum, and the difference is structure. Satin spar grows as parallel fibres and carries a moving silver sheen, while selenite grows as transparent tabular or bladed crystals. Astro Gallery names the variety on each listing so you know which one you are buying.
Can I wash a selenite crystal in water?
No. Gypsum dissolves slowly in water, and a rinse leaves a chalky bloom that no polishing will bring back. Dust the piece dry with a soft brush and keep it out of bathrooms, kitchens and any room where condensation forms.
How soft is selenite compared with quartz?
Gypsum defines Mohs 2 and quartz defines Mohs 7, which places selenite far down the scale. A fingernail scratches it, a coin scratches it, and a grain of household grit dragged across a polished face will leave a permanent line.
Is the orange colour natural or dyed?
The orange in the Moroccan pieces comes from iron oxide inside the gypsum and runs through the body of the stone. Astro Gallery discloses any dye or stabilisation in the description, and undisclosed treatment is the reason we buy this material through known Moroccan workshops.
Which size should I buy for a bookshelf?
Purchase from the two to three pound tier, which covers the Moroccan points and freeforms and the smaller Brazilian blades. Anything above thirteen pounds becomes a console or table piece and needs a surface that carries concentrated weight on a small footprint.
Do you ship selenite lamps and towers internationally?
Yes. Every order travels tracked and fully insured to any destination with customs paperwork prepared before dispatch. Astro Gallery double boxes gypsum for overseas transit and quotes freight in advance for the heaviest matrix specimens.
What happens if a gypsum piece arrives chipped?
Contact customer service inside the window stated in our returns policy, keep the outer carton, and Astro Gallery arranges the replacement or the refund against the itemised invoice. Every parcel leaves insured for its declared value, so transit damage is covered.

What Else Sits Near the Gypsum Shelf

Buyers arriving for selenite split two ways afterwards, following either the soft mineral thread into calcite and barite or the polished form into towers and spheres cut from harder species.

Soft and cleavable species
Calcite Barite Fluorite Apophyllite
Same form, harder stone
Points and towers Spheres Palm stones Polished hearts
Localities behind these pieces
African minerals South American minerals North American minerals
Display, gifting and interiors
Home decor Gifts Stone carvings Crystal products
Before you order
Shipping and returns About Astro Gallery Mineral specimens