Epsomite

Natural Epsom salt: fibrous white crusts that taste bitter and dissolve in water.

Epsomite specimen — Photo: Manuel Pina L, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to identify epsomite

Fluffy or fibrous white crusts.
Bitter taste.
Dissolves readily in water.

Often confused with

Halite
Halite tastes salty, not bitter, and forms cubes.
Compare side by side

Where it's found

Epsom, England
Caves and mine walls worldwide
Washington state

Uses

Bath salts, medicine and fertilizer.

Rock tumbling

Not suitable for tumbling. Water-soluble.

Did you know?

It's named after the bitter springs of Epsom, England.

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