Selenite Crystals South of Belleview, IA
N 42° 13.567 W 090° 23.871
15T E 714746 N 4678160
These Selenite Crystals are found along a road cut.
Waymark Code: WM1C63
Location: Iowa, United States
Date Posted: 03/31/2007
Views: 151
You can gather these selenite crystals in the road right of way above the ditch. Look for the bare slope on the north side of the road toward the top of the hill. Permission to gather is not needed. The gypsum clay bank contains the selenite crystals. As rain washes the clay away, the selenite crystals are exposed and lay on top of the soil. Sometimes they sit on top of a small pyramid of soil. The best time to find them is after several days of summer rain. The gypsum clay is very sticky when wet. To reduce erosian effect, please stay off the slope when wet. There is no need for a hammer or other tools. The crystals lay loose on top of the soil and are easy to pick up. Most of the crystals are less than two inches long.
This Waymark has also been turned into an Earthcache type of Geocache (GC23WDH.)
Fossils: no
Gems: yes
Meteorites: no
Minerals: yes
Rock Types:
Selenite crystals at this site are long and slender with two flat faces. They often have a rough texture on the side surfaces as each section of the crystal grows to different widths. Foreign material may be imbeded within the crystal, giving it a cloudy look. I have found a couple crystals that had the 'hourglass' feature within the crystal that is often seen in crystals from Oklahoma.
Admission price: 0.00 (listed in local currency)
Hours of Operation: From: 12:00 AM To: 11:59 PM
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Visit Instructions:
Please post a photograph taken at the site showing either your GPS or your finds for the day you visited.