Hexahydrite
Mineral MgSO4·6H2O
Take care.
- Damaged by water: Keep it dry: don't wash it, and keep it out of damp places.
- Breaks down in damp air: Keep it dry and in steady humidity; some crumble or rot as they take on moisture.
About it
White fibrous crusts and efflorescences, often formed as epsomite loses water on mine and cave walls or in dry lake beds. Dissolves in water and changes with the humidity.
- Type
- Mineral
- Group
- Sulfate, hexahydrite group
- Formula
- MgSO4·6H2O
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 2
- Specific gravity
- 1.75–1.76
- Streak
- white
- Lustre
- vitreous (glassy), pearly
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Colours
- colourless, white, pale green
- Transparency
- transparent, translucent
- Cleavage and fracture
- perfect in one direction
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.