Sulfur Crystals

Description

Sulfur has a hardness of 1½ – 2½ and a specific gravity of 2.07. According to Mindat, Sulfur is “a name in Middle English, introduced at least as early as 1390. Also known as brimstone. Theophrastus (~300 BCE) wrote μαλώδης (an otherwise unknown word) for what may be sulfur impregnated pumice, but Caley and Richards (1956) in their analysis and translation of Περι Λιθον (“Peri Lithon”) suggest that the actual word should have been μηλώδης meaning quince-yellow.”

Also from Mindat, Sulfur is “usually formed from volcanic action – as a deposition product from volcanic gasses associated with realgar, cinnabar and other minerals. It is also found in some vein deposits and as an alteration product of sulphide minerals. It can also be formed biogenically – a major source being salt domes, where it has formed by the bacterial decomposition of calcium sulfate.”

These make for some pretty great samples for element collectors, as, you can’t really get any more sulfur in any sulfur sample than the sulfur in these Sulfur specimens! These are the literal natural form of the element!

Sulfur is found in thousands of localities all over the world, so be sure to keep your eyes out for cool, yellow crystals, and you’ll now be able to identify Sulfur in its native form!