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Gem Profile- Desert Rose

by Judy Ellis
In front of my home in the park strip are beautiful rose bushes that I have tended and nursed through hot summers, teenaged drivers running over them, and aphids. Every spring as the snow melts I look forward to watching those lovely plants bloom and bring forth blossoms as big as a dessert plate. They are so fragrant that the smell wafts along the breeze and into my home making everyone take deep breaths and comment on how wonderful they smell. I gather cut stems to decorate ancestors resting places on Memorial Day and bring them into my home to sit on the piano and fill the room with their fragrance. I also stock up on bandages and antiseptic when I cut and tend them because if it weren't for the thorns, we would have no roses.
What is Desert Rose?

Another rose lacks thorns and matches beauty in aesthetics and creation.

Nicknamed Desert Rose, it forms primarily in deserts and arid regions worldwide.

Water precipitates through sand at the waterline, forming mineral crystals.

Types include selenite (gypsum), barite, and hematite..
Saharan gypsum desert rose from Tunisia (length 47 cm)
Judy Ellis's Gem Profile- Desert Rose - , General Education, , Desert Rose
Selenite Rose
Judy Ellis's Gem Profile- Desert Rose - , General Education, , Selenite Rose
Barite Rose
Judy Ellis's Gem Profile- Desert Rose - , General Education, , Barite Rose
Hematite Rose
Judy Ellis's Gem Profile- Desert Rose - , General Education, , Hematite Rose
A rose by another name:


Selenite:

Selenite is the most common Desert Rose type.

It gave these formations their name. Selenite is crystallized gypsum.

Roses form as clear crystal columns, sometimes huge, like in Mexico's Naica Mine.

Water rich in selenite evaporates through sand. Crystals grow in flat, concentric circles like rose petals.

Crystals appear clear or with white fibrous spar inclusions. Sand sticks as druse.

Selenite Desert Roses occur worldwide, concentrated in US, Mexico, and Middle East deserts.
Judy Ellis's Gem Profile- Desert Rose - , General Education, , Selenite Rose
Barite:

Barite forms roses and is Oklahoma's state rock.

Barite roses develop like selenite roses. They often show red from the red sandstone.

Geologists date them to 250 million years ago, as ice retreated over Permian Garber sandstone.

Today, roses weather from stone layers as positive relief. They free themselves into loose soil.

Most measure ½ inch to 4 inches. Larger ones exceed 10 inches.

The largest found was 17 inches in diameter, 10 inches high, and over 120 pounds.
Judy Ellis's Gem Profile- Desert Rose - , General Education, , Barite – Oklahoma state rock
Hematite:

Hematite is one of Earth's most common minerals.

It forms in banded iron and provides iron's main ingredient.

It also creates bladed crystals resembling roses.

Hematite roses look metallic and are called "iron roses."

Other rose-forming minerals include chalcedony, celestine, and calcite.

These are rare and resemble pressed roses, lacking defined Desert Rose petals.
Judy Ellis's Gem Profile- Desert Rose - , General Education, , Hematite Rose
Wrapping it up.

Autumn approaches fast.

My roses fade quickly.

I may travel to the desert to find a rose of my own.

Or just visit the rock shop to purchase one. That may be easier.
Resources:

Selenite - Wikipedia

tulsageosciencecenter.org - Oklahoma state rock

Desert Rose general information - Wikipedia

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