Canadian Rockhound: Halite

Halite
By Doug Miller, Saskatoon, SK
Halite, NaCl, is found at the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan mine near Lanigan, Saskatchewan as a byproduct of potash mining. Halite, also called salt, is isometric, has a hardness of 2.5, and a specific gravity of 2.17. The color is typically colorless, but occasionally blue streaked or dark blue halite is also found. The blue is due to free sodium ions.
The halite occurs usually as simple cubes, often stacked in large complex groups. Individual crystals can be up to about 5 cm and groups to 20 cm are not unusual. Faces are fairly smooth but seldom lustrous.

Halite from Rocanville, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Image from The Mineral Gallery.

Gemstones (for collectors only) have been cut from the Lanigan halite including a 5.05 carat dark blue by Art Grant and a 7.14 carat stone by Brad Wilson (The Canadian Gemmologist, Summer 1995, page 61).
Halite specimens should be handled, stored and displayed carefully as halite absorbs water readily, damaging the specimen. One method of preservation is to spray-coat crystals with lacquer and then place them in an airtight container. Specimens are inexpensive and can be obtained from many Canadian mineral dealers.

Copyright ©1997 Doug Miller
E-mail: mildg@sk.sympatico.ca
This article may not be copied, distributed or reprinted in any form without the author's permission. To contact the author, please use the e-mail address provided. If you are unable to contact the author, please contact the Canadian Rockhound. Authorized reprints must acknowledge the author, original source and the Canadian Rockhound, and include the website URL address of the Canadian Rockhound.
The preceding article was first published in the April 1997 issue of the Saskatoon Lapidary & Mineral Club Newsletter. Reprinted in the Canadian Rockhound with permission from the author and editor.
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Document Number: CR9701206

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