New Zealand Sulphur

Mineral Matters #426

The current Facebook Mineral of the Week Group’s selected theme is native elements.

Now generally , when you think of native elements, you *usually* think of metallic specimens. Not always, but certainly more often than not.

One that isn’t is the element sulphur (or sulfur if you are in the US). Sulphur is a non-metal and generally occurs as yellow crystals or crusts, often around volcanic fumaroles. In places like this, you can smell the mineralisation!

Below: Sulphur with colourless hyalite opal, Lake Rotokawa, Wairakei, Taupo District, Waikato Region, New Zealand. Width of view 7.75mm. Click on the image below for a higher resolution version.