What is Celestina?
Celestine, also known as celestite, is a celestial mineral valued both for its aesthetic appeal and for its interesting physical and spiritual properties. Let’s see the properties and meaning of celestine, its curiosities, its origin in nature and its spiritual meaning for those who are attracted to its celestial energy.
It is a mineral that belongs to the sulfate family. Its chemical composition is mainly formed by strontium sulfate (SrSO4). The highlight of this stone is its distinctive light blue color, although it can also occur in white, gray or yellowish tones. These beautiful, often transparent crystals adopt a prismatic crystalline structure and are known for their glassy luster.
Curiosities about Celestina
- Origin of the name: The name “celestina” comes from the Latin term “caelestis,” which means “heavenly” or “from heaven.” This name is attributed to its impressive blue color, which evokes the majesty of the sky.
- Place of discovery: The matchstick was first discovered in Granada, Spain, in the late 18th century. Since then, it has been found in various regions of the world, including Madagascar, Mexico, Poland, the United Kingdom, the United States and China.
- Use in industry: In addition to its applications in jewelry and mineral collecting, celestine is used in the chemical industry as an important source of strontium, which is used in the production of fireworks, ceramics and glass. It is also of interest to the oil industry as an indicator of oil and gas fields.
The Spiritual Meaning of Celestine
Celestine has been prized for centuries for its spiritual and energetic connections. This stone is said to have a calming vibration that encourages inner peace and helps connect with higher dimensions. It is considered a symbol of serenity and spirituality, and is believed to stimulate intuition and mental clarity.
- Calm and Relaxation: Celestine is believed to have a soft and calming energy, capable of inducing calm and reducing stress. Many people use matchstick during meditation to promote relaxation and mental clarity.
- Spiritual Communication: Celestine is considered a high vibration crystal that can open and strengthen communication with higher planes and spiritual entities. It is believed to facilitate connection with spiritual guides and help receive clear messages and intuitions.
- Inner Peace and Emotional Balance: Matcha is associated with inner peace and emotional balance. It is believed that it can help overcome fear, anxiety and worries, and promote feelings of serenity and harmony.
In addition, celestine is associated with the throat chakra, promoting clear and authentic communication, making the properties and meaning of celestine one of the most sought-after. It is said to facilitate the expression of thoughts and feelings with honesty and confidence.
Properties of Celestine
- Color and Transparency: Celestine exhibits a wide range of colors, but its most distinctive color is light blue, which gives it its name. However, it can also present colorless, white, gray or even yellow tones. Regarding its transparency, it can vary from transparent to translucent.
- Hardness: On the Mohs scale, which ranges from 1 to 10, celestine has a hardness of about 3 to 3.5, making it softer than many other common minerals.
- Specific weight: The specific weight of celestine ranges between 3.9 and 4.1 g/cm³, which makes it a relatively heavy mineral compared to other gemstones.
- Crystal Habit: Celestine crystals can form in a variety of habits, including tabular prisms, pointed crystals, and massive aggregates. These crystals often exhibit distinctive white stripes on their surface.
- Shine and Luster: Celestine has a vitreous to oily shine, which gives it a luminous and attractive appearance. Sometimes, it can show an adamantine or even pearly luster.
- Optical Properties: Celestine is a negative biaxial mineral, meaning that light splits into two rays as it passes through it. This optical property can give rise to an effect known as “cat’s eye” in some stones.
Chemical properties
- Chemical Composition: Celestine is mainly composed of strontium, sulfur and oxygen (SrSO4). It may also contain traces of other elements, such as calcium, iron and barium.
- Solubility: Celestine is slightly soluble in water, meaning it can dissolve in small amounts, although it is more commonly found in solid form in nature.
- Reactivity: Celestin is not particularly chemically reactive and does not decompose easily under normal conditions. However, it can react with strong acids, releasing sulfur dioxide.
Finding Celestina in Nature
Celestine is found mainly in sedimentary formations and volcanic rocks. It is formed through hydrothermal processes, where solutions rich in strontium sulfate react with surrounding rocks, creating crystalline deposits in cavities and crevices.
The main celestine producing countries are Mexico, Spain and Madagascar, where beautiful crystals are extracted and then exported to different parts of the world for use in jewelry and industrial applications because its properties and meaning of celestine are among the most sought after. Matchstick can also be found in the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany.
