This twinned Celestine crystal from Mt Ungoza, Kazakhstan, formed in a limy sand which imparts a whitish-grey color and sandy texture, hence the name "sand celestine." The faces are actually granular-vitreous in oblique light, similar to “Desert Rose” gypsum. What I find very appealing about this specimen, aside from the very sharp, textbook elongated orthorhombic habit, is that two types of twinning are evident. The first is readily apparent; however, the second, which is termed translation twinning, is very subtle. This is a very unique specimen, and there are only five presented in the public photo archive of Mindat.
