Can Angelite Go In Water? (ANSWERED)

The stone that is colloquially called angelite should not go in water.

It is low on the Moh’s hardness scale with a hardness of 3.5.

When exposed to water, angelite has a tendency to lose its structural integrity and it can even crumble.

Learn more about angelite and how it responds to water here.

Can Angelite Go In Water? (ANSWERED)

Why it is Called Angelite

If you are looking for angelite and having a hard time finding it, you may just need to look for it under a different name.

The scientific name for angelite is anhydrite.

This is a stone that was first found in Peru.

It has been renamed angelite by the crystal healing world for its metaphysical properties, and some believe that the stone has special power.

However in trade it can be referred to as either anhydrite or angelite.

Physical Properties of Angelite

Angelite is a soft stone that contains calcium sulfate.

It offers a crystal structure with a near-perfect symmetry.

It is not isomorphous, which means that it is capable of crystallizing.

The overall gravity of angelite is 2.9, and it has a Moh’s hardness in the 3.5 range, which indicates that it is a very soft stone.

The color of angelite is white, but it can also be blue or purple.

It is considered a beautiful stone, with a lustre and glassy or pearly finish that is not man-made in most cases.

These physical properties outside of its color are what make angelite a stranger to water.

Putting angelite in water makes it crumble because it absorbs the water, and then becomes a gypsum. It is an irreversible transformation for the stone.

Angelite is frequently associated with other rocks such as halite, calcite, galena, and pyrite, but is found with many other stones.

It can also be confused with many other stones, but has a unique structure that sets it apart from them.

Most stones are by nature harder than angelite and can be immersed in water, at least for brief periods of time.

Angelite comes from gypsum, which already has come into contact with water.

When that happens during its formation, anhydrite crystals are formed.

The name anhydrite comes from the term anhydrous that means without water.

How is Angelite Formed?

Angelite was originally found in Peru, but it can be found in many countries now.

It is now found in Mexico, Britain, Egypt, Poland, Germany, and Libya.

When water evaporates from the gypsum, anhydrite will then form.

Gypsum is a soft mineral with a hardness scale even lower than anhydrite.

It’s hardness on the Moh’s scale is closer to a 2.

It is a dihydrate material as opposed to an anhydrate material, and is a softer sulfate that also contains calcium.

Gypsum is something that we use in everyday life, in many things from fertilizer to drywall or sheet rock.

It is also used in plaster and in chalkboard chalk.

It is a fine grain and when used with other materials, including water, it can be used for a number of things.

It has even been used for sculpture in many different civilizations such as Egypt, Mesopotamia, Rome, and Medieval England.

Anhydrite or angelite forms from this material when water evaporates from it.

The chemical composition of it changes to a similar calcium sulfate material but with fewer bonds.

The first time that anhydrite was found is said to have been 1794 near Hall in Tirol in Peru.

Anhydrite is typically found at greater depths than gypsum, and this makes sense when you think of water being closer to surfaces of land and rock.

When anhydrite gets closer to the surface, it will transform into gypsum again as it comes into contact with groundwater.

Temperature plays a role in the history and location of anhydrite as well.

In water, angelite becomes gypsum.

However, when the water is chemically altered with sodium chloride (salt) or potassium chloride, the hardness of the water will impact the integrity of the gypsum, particularly when the temperature is increased.

It is this process that enables manufacturers and artisans to create products using angelite that will withstand the test of time.

Angelite may be difficult to maintain in water, but overall it is still a stone with a hardness level that will keep its integrity when well maintained.

Adding chemicals and heat to its structure alters its structure in a way that lends it some strength.

Manufacturers and artisans aren’t the only ones that can do this with angelite.

They learn it from nature.

This process of heat and sodium chloride addition occurs in salt mines.

Angelite is commonly found in salt mines and basins for this reason.

It’s just a natural occurrence of a chemical reaction with gypsum, environmental chemicals, and water.

Care of Angelite

For all of these reasons, angelite can simply not be put in water.

You will get gypsum or a material very similar to gypsum as a result.

The stone will crumble.

However, you can still cleanse your angelite if you have it in a number of ways.

You don’t need to keep it perfectly clean, but a polish with a dry and soft cloth will be enough to keep it shiny and clean.

You will want to keep it protected from the elements to prevent it from being scratched or damaged.

Keep it in a soft bag, or even an old sock that you won’t need anymore.

Any soft material that can keep it protected will help to keep your angelite around for a long time.

When you are showering, bathing, or swimming, be sure to take your angelite gems off if you wear them, and keep them in cool and dry places when storing.