[Rockhounds] Selenite

[Lanny R]

Thank you Earl, my thoughts too. It seems like the use of the term  
"selenite" is one of the worse of this trend of using them  
incorrectly. Maybe not, using "ruby" for pink sapphires  also has  
become way to common.

But I do disagree with Rik Dillen on this. I like the alternative  
names, but like all words and terms scientific, they should be used  
correctly. I like the term/name selenite and other such specialty  
mineral names. It tells me something about the specimen. Selenite.  
It's not just any old gypsum, it's colorless gypsum; special, clear,  
transparent material.

The MR tried this many years ago: will not use any specialty names.  
Except: ruby, emerald, amethyst, etc. Just those few names that the  
editor/publisher decided on his own were "accepted" terms. What a load  
of crap. Those names are just as misused as selenite, hessonite, etc.  
How many specimens of pale green, opaque beryl with unknown Cr-V  
content do we see labeled "emerald"? How many tons of pink sapphire/ 
corundum are labeled "ruby." The use of those names is no more correct  
than using "selenite." I've noticed over the years that these names  
have slowly crept back into that magazine.

I'm for using the specialty mineral names, but use them correctly. So  
correct me when I screw up.

Lanny


On Oct 14, 2008, at 7:51 AM, Earl R. Verbeek wrote:

> A related question, but is this specimen selenite, or just gypsum?   
> I'd
> always understood the term "selenite" to apply only to colorless,
> transparent gypsum, but at mineral shows, especially, it seems that  
> almost
> every gypsum specimen is labeled "selenite".  John White wrote a  
> column
> about the overuse of the term "selenite" in a recent (several years  
> ago?)
> column in Rocks and Minerals in his "Let's Get it Right" series, but  
> I do
> not have access to that column at the moment.  In any event, I don't
> believe that fibrous to columnar crystals of gypsum of ram's horn  
> habit
> conform to any strict definition of "selenite" because you can't see
> through them -- the ram's horn aggregates may be translucent, but they
> aren't transparent.  What say other members of the list?
>
>          Cheers-   Earl
>