What kind of rock is this?
Where did it come from?
Answers:
What kind of rock is this?
This is a rose crystal. You can probably guess why it is called that -- because its formation makes it look like it has petals, like a rose! Not all desert rose crystals are pink or red like roses, though. The red coloring indicates the presence of iron oxide.
Where did it come from?
These desert rose crystals form in desert climates from gypsum or baryte. They can vary in size, from small clusters of less than an inch, to large formations nearly a foot tall. This specimen is currently displayed in the Science Gallery at the Karshner Center.
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