Gypsum


CaSO4.2H2O

This sample of gypsum is on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.

Gypsum is a sulfate mineral, containing calcium and sulfur. It is widely used as a material for making drywall boards for house construction (sheetrock). It is also used for making plaster of Paris.

Gypsum is one of the softest minerals, measuring 2 on the Mohs hardness scale. It can be scratched with a fingernail.

Varieties of gypsum crystals
Minerals
Selection of common minerals
 Index
 
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Varieties of Gypsum Crystals


CaSO4.2H2O

These are some of the samples of gypsum which are on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. The sample at left has an overall dimension between 10 and 15 cm, and that below is on the order of 10 cm wide.


The above sample of gypsum is similar to the gypsum curls I have seen growing out of cave walls. It is displayed at a size close to its real size. The large sample at right is probably 15 cm high.

These thin gypsum needles are shown about actual size.


This was the largest sample of gypsum crystals, measuring on the order of a meter across.
More varieties of gypsum crystals
Selection of common minerals
 Index
 
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