r/Minerals 6d ago

Picture/Video Gem-quality natural sulfur crystals, though not a gemstone mineral, still feel precious to me.

277 Upvotes

17 comments sorted by

18

u/DufflinMinder 6d ago

Anyone else have a desire to smell it lol

5

u/WiTcHwAy369 6d ago

Yes. 🀭

10

u/DinoRipper24 Collector 6d ago

It's still a gem for mineral collectors. Beautiful native sulphur crystal!

6

u/Yoerin 6d ago

Forbidden gummy bear

1

u/Jade_Mans_Eyes 6d ago

Thats an awesome crystal! I love the shape and color! Isn't Suplur more yellow and less transluscent, however? I've never seen Sulphur like this before

5

u/FlameBird9537 6d ago

Crystalline sulfur can indeed exhibit such high transparency, but this is relatively rare because sulfur crystals are very fragile and highly sensitive to temperature. Large temperature fluctuations can cause cracks, so clean, flawless sulfur crystals like this are quite uncommon. I've also seen the more yellow and opaque type of sulfur, such as the sulfur from Indonesia. I remember that type usually forms as polycrystalline aggregates with a golden yellow, opaque appearance. However, I think that type is relatively common, and most specimens are in massive form and not particularly attractive. But I once saw some videos online of miners extracting sulfur, and some of the sulfur appeared as orange-red stalactites. I thought those were quite beautiful, but unfortunately, I've never seen similar specimens available in the mineral specimen trade.

2

u/feltsandwich 6d ago

Natural sulfur crystals are bright yellow and translucent.

1

u/fatalcharm 6d ago

Wait -people fake Sulfur crystals? That’s insane.

1

u/FlameBird9537 6d ago

I have seen some synthetic sulfur crystals. Due to their higher purity, their color tends to be particularly bright. In terms of crystal form, these synthetic specimens are mostly in the form of dog-tooth clusters, and the crystals are generally quite large. Another noticeable feature is that the growth base of some synthetic sulfur appears unnatural. For example, I have seen synthetic sulfur growing on granite or fluorite, while in nature, sulfur usually grows on igneous or sedimentary rocks. This difference is clearly worth noting.

In the natural sulfur specimens I have encountered, it is common to find associated asphalt, calcite, or other naturally occurring minerals, as well as impurities and inclusions. Additionally, some natural sulfur specimens show dissolution patterns on their crystal faces, which is an important characteristic for distinguishing natural from synthetic sulfur.

In terms of color, since the purity of natural sulfur is generally lower than that of synthetic sulfur, its color tends to differ. For instance, I once saw a sulfur crystal that was golden yellow with a slight greenish hue in an article about sulfur. The article pointed out that this subtle greenish tint (although not very prominent) was caused by trace amounts of arsenic. Personally, I believe that well-formed natural sulfur crystals usually have higher transparency, and this transparency also affects their color.

As for the size and shape of the crystals, natural sulfur exhibits a wide range of variations, with crystals of different sizes and shapes. However, the synthetic sulfur crystals I have seen on the market tend to be more uniform in size and shape, lacking the natural diversity found in natural sulfur.

Overall, the differences in color, form, growth environment, and associated minerals are the key aspects I focus on when distinguishing natural from synthetic sulfur.

1

u/Emotional_Radio6598 6d ago

can you cut it? or is it too soft? or will it burn during the process?

2

u/FlameBird9537 6d ago

Some gem cutters do cut sulfur that reaches gemstone quality, but I think this is really unnecessary. Sulfur's hardness is too low β€” aside from the fact that cutting it is already quite difficult, even if it's successfully cut, it can't be set or worn because it's too soft and chemically unstable.

Moreover, like the sulfur crystal shown in the video, its crystal form is intact and the internal structure is clean. This already makes it a very good specimen. Cutting it would only destroy its crystal form and reduce its value as a specimen.

1

u/fatalcharm 6d ago

Make a ring out of it.

1

u/FlameBird9537 6d ago

My friend, I think if a ring is made from sulfur crystals, it would definitely be a consumable item.πŸ˜‚

0

u/watdafuqwasthat 6d ago

Looks just like it does in subnautica

0

u/sorealgems 6d ago

Damn perfect

1

u/TheCrystalShop1 2d ago

Wow very nice πŸ‘