KIESERITE

    Class : Sulfates, chromates, molybdates
    Subclass : Hydrated sulfates
    Crystal system : Monoclinic
    Chemistry : MgSO4 H2O
    Rarity : Common

Kieserite is a sulfate of marine evaporites. It was named in honor of Dietrich Georg Kieser, President of the Academy of Jena (Germany). Kieserite occurs in grainy masses, intimately mixed with other salts (halite, sylvite, polyhalite), sometimes in pyramidal crystals, colorless or grayish or yellowish in color. It is used as a source of potassium in the manufacture of potassium salts.

Main photo : Kieserite from Kladno District, Czech Republic © Harold Moritz

Kieserite in the World

Kieserite is common in the Permian potash deposits of Central Europe : the German deposits of Hildesheim, Wathlingen and Westergeln, and the Austrian deposits of Hallstatt have thus provided beautiful crystals. Kieserite is also known from the Permian salt deposits of New Mexico and Utah, particularly around Carlsbad. It is the almost exclusive mineral of the salt layers discovered in Saratov (Russia).

Kieserite in France

Kieserite is not present in the French underground.

Twinning

Contact twins are known on {001} and polysynthetics according to [110].

Fakes and treatments

No fakes recorded for this mineral species.


Hardness : 3.5
Density : 2.57
Fracture : Undetermined
Streak : White

TP : Translucent
RI : 1.520 to 1.584
Birefringence : 0.064
Optical character : Biaxial +
Pleochroism : None
Fluorescence : None

Solubility : Water

Magnetism : NoneRadioactivity : None