Selenite
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Related to Selenite: Sodium selenite
selenite
[′sel·ə‚nīt] (mineralogy)
The clear, colorless variety of gypsum crystallizing in the monoclinic system and occurring in crystals or in crystal mass. Also known as spectacle stone.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
selenite
A variety of gypsum in transparent, foliated, crystalline form; used as decorative building stone.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. Copyright © 2003 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.
Selenite
a mineral, a variety of gypsum with hairlike micro-crystals arranged in parallel fashion. Selenite is formed as a result of the filling of rock fissures, which accounts for the generally perpendicular arrangement of selenite fibers with respect to rock walls. It forms tightly bound mineral aggregates with a fiber length of up to 10–15 cm; the aggregates shimmer with an attractive silky luster in reflected light. The color of selenite depends on the admixture content and can be white, bluish white, yellow, or pink. Selenite is widely used as an ornamental material. Large selenite deposits are located in the Urals (Kungur, Sverdlovsk Oblast).
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.