A nearly perfect barite crystal, completely transparent with a great termination point on one end.
Barite crystals are heavy compared to other popular collectable crystal types. The facets of the crystal feel smooth and dirt and sediments can easily be removed. The facets are at nearly right angles to one another. The color ranges from clear to a blue color in transparent crystals, and milky clear, blue, white and brown colors in the translucent crystals.
Small quantities of barite can be found along side of calcite crystals, which are much more common in the area. Only some of the exposed concretions contain calcite crystals, and very few of those sites will also have barite crystals. Once exposed to the desert heat both the calcite and barite crystals can shatter from rapid changes in temperature.
This is a clear calcite crystal with nearly perfect angles at 73 and 107 degrees.
The calcite 'egg' is found within some of the shale concretions that have been exposed. The shale must be carefully broken away from the crystal without damaging the structure. Most of the large crystals have already broken apart into sections as shown above with a light layer of matrix separating the sections indicating they have been split for some time. I also find lichens growing on the sectioned crystals if they are near the surface.
The calcite 'egg' transitions from an orange or milky white color to the water clear crystal at the middle of the structure. The water clear color also indicates a possible barite crystal structure nearby.
Large calcite crystal structure with individual cube crystals transitioning from clear to milky with several natural divisions in the crystal visible.