Hanksite

Hanksite is an ultra-rare sulfate–carbonate mineral known almost exclusively from evaporitic lakebed environments, and this attractive thumbnail comes from the type locality, Searles Lake in California. The specimen features a striking, translucent, doubly terminated hexagonal “floater” crystal, exhibiting excellent overall symmetry. The terminations are sharp, with some contact evident on the reverse. The crystal shows a powdery alteration coating. As a water-soluble mineral, hanksite requires special care: specimens should be kept in a cool, dry environment, as prolonged exposure to moisture or humid air can cause deterioration. For this reason, some crystals are lightly coated with mineral oil for preservation. The purchaser may want to give it a gentle brush and apply a bit of oil to protect this one from further alteration.

Hanksite was first described in 1885 and named in honor of Henry G. Hanks, California’s first State Mineralogist. Specimens from Searles Lake remain the worldwide standard for the species and are highly sought after by collectors of rare evaporite minerals and type locality material.