There are roses in the desert that are made up of a mineral!
Roses can steal anyone’s heart with their beautifully coloured petals and fragrant blossoms. But did you know there are roses made of minerals? Yes, you read that right. Meet the gypsum rose. Found in deserts, these are rose-like formations composed of crystal clusters of the mineral gypsum. Gypsum roses can reach a height of 17 inches and weigh up to 57 kg. Do you know how long gypsum roses take to grow? Their growth period can last anywhere between 10 and 100 years! But how are these roses of gypsum formed? Continue reading to find out!
What is gypsum?
Before we get into how gypsum crystalises in a rose-like pattern, let’s first define gypsum. Gypsum is a mineral composed of hydrated calcium sulphate. It is used in the production of ornaments. Because of its silky lustre, transparency and opalescence, gypsum is highly valued for jewellery making. It is an evaporite, which means it crystallises when water evaporates. The crystals can take any shape starting from prisms, flat plates, satin spar (elongated crystals), compact crystals (alabaster) and rosette crystals. The gypsum desert rose is a type of rosette.
How are gypsum crystal roses formed?
Nature has a strange way of working. Who would have thought that a natural process like crystallisation could result in the formation of beautiful rose petals in the desert? Gypsum roses grow best in sandy, arid environments, after the evaporation of a shallow salt basin. Also known as sand rose, rose rock and selenite rock, these require a lot of calcium sulphate in the environment where they grow. Once the requirements have been determined, it is time to get down to business. When the water evaporates, crystals form in a circular array of flat plates, giving the rock its distinctive shape resembling a rose blossom. They can be seen as a single rose or in clusters of blooms.
Some of these roses come in a variety of colours! The rose’s colour comes from the sand that is incorporated into the crystal structure. If the sand is brown, the crystals will be brown. If iron oxides are present, the gypsum rose can take on a rusty hue. Gypsum is not the only mineral that forms rosette clusters. Desert roses can be formed by evaporite minerals such as celestine and baryte as well. However, gypsum roses are more defined and have sharper edges. These rocks are known by various names, including sand rose, rose rock and selenite rock.
Two types of gypsum roses
Gypsum roses are available in two varieties. One kind is found in shallow areas, while the other in the deeper layers of the rocks. Roses formed in shallow areas are amber, while those formed in deeper layers are yellow in colour! Their sizes differ as well. Shallow regions may have small compact balls of ingrown crystals, whereas deeper regions may have larger, more distinct, and sometimes colourless crystals! The large blades that protrude from them are similarly blocky! In the shallow region, occasionally, large transparent amber blades protrude from the core, resulting in stunning specimens.