Celestine is a rare stone and lacks fire. Colorless is the most common variety. The Celestine crystal occurs in pale blue, orange, yellow, or milky white prismatic crystals, or in fine-grained masses. With a hardness of only 3½ on Moh’s scale and perfect cleavage, Celestine is extremely fragile. It is usually cut for collectors. However, some fine specimens are available for public viewing in the museums.
A Celestine crystal occurs in the sulfur matrix.
Occurrence
Celestine may occur with sandstones or limestones, in evaporate deposits, in pegmatites, in cavities in volcanic rocks, or with galena and sphalerite in mineral veins. Most of the stones that are capable of being faceted are found in Madagascar and Namibia. Celestine is also found in Canada, the USA, England, Sicily (Italy), and Czech Republic/Slovakia.
Celestine Properties
- Specific Gravity: 3.98
- Refractive Index: 1.62-1.63
- Birefringence (DR): 0.010
- Luster: Vitreous to pearly
- Crystal Structure: Orthorhombic
- Composition: Strontium sulphate
- Hardness: 3½
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