Judging quality
Bright yellow, very light in the hand, faintly resinous. It is so thermally sensitive that the warmth of a palm can crack a crystal.
Element
Sulfur
Native sulfur in transparent lemon-yellow dipyramids, classically on white aragonite from the Sicilian mines. A pure element crystallising into gem-bright forms.
Care
Never hold bare-handed for long and never wash in warm water. Cool, dry, closed storage.
History & lore
Sicilian sulfur supplied most of the world into the nineteenth century; the mines and their child labour drove some of Italy's earliest labour reforms.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Sulfur
- What is Sulfur?
- Native sulfur in transparent lemon-yellow dipyramids, classically on white aragonite from the Sicilian mines. A pure element crystallising into gem-bright forms.
- How hard is Sulfur and what is it made of?
- Sulfur is a Element-family mineral with the composition S. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic system and rates 1.5-2.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in yellow, golden, pale yellow.
- Where does Sulfur come from?
- Notable localities for Sulfur include Sicily, Italy (Agrigento), Bolivia, Poland, Louisiana, USA.
- How do you tell good Sulfur from filler?
- Bright yellow, very light in the hand, faintly resinous. It is so thermally sensitive that the warmth of a palm can crack a crystal.
- How do you care for Sulfur?
- Never hold bare-handed for long and never wash in warm water. Cool, dry, closed storage.
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.