Evaporite Beads
Evaporite beads are cut from minerals that crystallized as ancient seas and salt lakes dried up, chiefly selenite, a transparent form of gypsum, and angelite, the trade name for pale blue anhydrite. Both are calcium sulfate minerals, both are soft, and both need to be kept dry. This collection holds every evaporite stone we stock, natural selenite and angelite, in a range of finishes and shapes for bracelets, necklaces and earrings.
Appearance
Selenite is colorless to white, often with a satiny, fibrous sheen that moves along the bead as it turns, and some pieces are clear enough to read through. It can carry faint grey or peach tones from iron or clay. Angelite is an even, soft blue-grey, opaque, with occasional rust-colored specks of hematite and thin white veins. Strands of either stone are fairly uniform, with less bead-to-bead variation than most natural stones.
A polished finish gives selenite its glow and angelite a smooth, eggshell look; a matte finish leaves both chalky. Selenite is 2 on the Mohs scale, soft enough to scratch with a fingernail, and angelite is 3 to 3.5. Both dissolve slowly in water and absorb moisture from lotion and sweat, which dulls the surface, and angelite gradually converts to gypsum when damp. Take these off before washing, swimming or showering, and store them apart from harder beads.
Formation and origin
Evaporites form when a body of salt water is cut off and evaporates, concentrating its dissolved minerals until they crystallize out in sequence: carbonates first, then gypsum and anhydrite, then halite and the potash salts. Gypsum forms with water in its structure; anhydrite is the dry form, and the two convert into each other depending on heat and moisture. Selenite is mined in Mexico, Morocco and the United States, with the giant crystals of the Naica mine in Chihuahua the most famous. Angelite comes from Peru, where it was first sold under that name in the late 1980s.
Pairings
Rose quartz beads: pale pink with white or blue makes a quiet pastel set, with the quartz taking the wear.
Howlite beads: white with grey veining sits naturally beside selenite, and both are soft stones best kept dry.
Clear quartz beads: colorless and hard, it extends selenite's white without adding weight or competing color.
Lore and Meaning
Evaporites have long been linked with clearing and calm in crystal traditions. Selenite, named for the Greek moon goddess Selene, is said to clear and recharge other stones and is placed with the crown chakra; angelite is associated with gentle communication and the throat chakra. Gypsum itself has been carved as alabaster since antiquity, from Assyrian palace reliefs to medieval English altarpieces. These are traditional beliefs, not claims of physical effect.
