[meteorite-list] Specific Halite

From: Bernd Pauli HD <bernd.pauli_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:42:00 2004
Message-ID: <3A637C14.79CC47F2_at_lehrer1.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de>

Dave & Sarah wrote:

> We are looking for varied colored halite.
> Blue. Green. Yellow. Red. Orange. White.

> When I was in Germany (when I was five-eight years old) my family went
> to a salt mine where we rode slides from level to level and went across
> a lake in the bottom of the mine and then out an elevator.

> At the end of the trip we bought a 6-cell sample boxed variety of the
> different colored salts produced. They were exquisite!!! I am looking
> for them again, as the original was lost.

> I believe the place was Salzburg ... or Stuttgart?


Hello Sarah, Dave, and List,

You are probably referring to the Berchtesgaden salt mine in the Alps
which has been existing since 1517. Large subsurface hollows are
saturated with water and result in brines with a halite content of about
26%. This brine is then pumped to the Bad Reichenhall "saltworks"
(called a "Saline" in German) which is about 18 km (12 miles) away.
This "Saline" has been in existence now for more than 2000 years.

I do have such a 6-cell sample box, and, fortunately, it did not suffer
the fate that the sample box Thomas's wife once acquired underwent,
although I must admit that the colors have faded a bit.

Best wishes,

Bernd
Received on Mon 15 Jan 2001 05:39:16 PM PST