What is a desert rose and how is stone used?

What is a desert rose and how a stone is used - to find out the answers to these questions will be useful for those who are not only interested in minerals, but also strive to learn about their properties in order to apply them in practice. In addition, it is worth figuring out where such a miracle with a beautiful name comes from.

Desert Rose is an unusual mineral that resembles a beautiful blossoming flower. His "homeland" is a sandy desert. For this reason, the crystal got its beautiful name.

But this is a kind of rose that resembles the original only in shape. Shades, which are more often inherent in real roses, cannot be found among these stones. The color of the mineral depends on the desert sand where it is formed. It can be beige or yellow. White and black specimens are extremely rare. The first option can be found in the deserts of Argentina, the second is seen in Tunisia.

A plaster rose is small in size, most often in diameter it does not exceed three centimeters. However, there are cases when, for example, the Saharan rose reached a size of about 25 cm. The crystals that make up the rose are petals. Despite their fragility, they are very sharp. And cut with them is as easy as with the blade of a knife. This structure is inherent in these minerals due to the large amount of salt.

Focusing on such a romantic name, many attribute some magical processes to the origin of the stone. In fact, there is nothing mystical in this process, and scientists have explained the stages of the formation of the mineral for a long time, leaving no secrets in this matter. Of course, very specific conditions are needed to create this miracle.But these are only known natural phenomena, nothing more.

First of all, in order for this stone to form, a moist environment is needed. This is the main condition. When precipitation falls in the desert, it is very quickly absorbed into the ground. Sand and gypsum, which are found in large quantities in the soil, then do their job. The sun also comes to their aid.

Under its scorching rays, moisture evaporates quite quickly, in this regard, crystals of an unusual shape are created from sand and gypsum, which are very reminiscent of rose petals. The sand settling on such a "flower" makes the "petals" velvety. This is how the desert rose is born.

Another interesting point is that finding these stones is not easy at all. They are under a layer of sand. And on the surface they appear after a sandstorm sweeps over the desert. It is then that such "roses" can be found on the surface. Moreover, under the influence of air and wind, already formed crystals can slightly change their shape, which allows us to conclude that "the rose is blooming." Such a process, although it seems at first glance extremely surprising, is also explained from a scientific point of view. Such metamorphoses occur due to the fact that the mineral contains a large amount of sulfates.

This stone primarily carries an aesthetic function. And tourists, going on trips to those countries where you can get it, acquire it as an original souvenir.

• But the attitude of the locals to the stone is completely different. They consider the mineral not just an unusual souvenir, but ascribe special powers to it. Perhaps there is an explanation for this. After all, a mineral formed by the forces of rain, sun, sand and winds really carries the energy of natural elements. But at the same time it can hardly really influence the fate of a person. However, the peoples inhabiting the spaces where the desert rose is formed have their own idea of ​​this, using the stone in some cases as a real assistant in certain situations.

• It is believed, according to some beliefs, that the mineral is able to rid a person of excessive pride. That is, if you give it to a person who puts his pride above all else, a situation will develop in life that will force the owner of the stone to change his opinion about the world around him and change.

• Another use case is a symbolic wedding gift for daughters. It is believed that in this case the marriage will be long and happy. This tradition arose on the basis of a legend that says that the stone was created by a man in love who was looking for a cure for his beloved. His tears, dripping onto the sand, served as the basis for the creation of a beautiful desert flower.

• Another tradition associated with love says that a girl who wants to meet a loved one and associate fate with him should get this stone and ask him for a happy meeting. In the future, this guarantees the fulfillment of desires.

• Desert rose believed to have health effects... The main application extends to patients with bone problems. So, it is believed that if you place the mineral at the patient's bed, the bones will heal faster after a fracture.

But if we talk about a more practical application, then we can talk about jewelry: it can be earrings, pendants and rings that are framed in gold and silver.

It is worth mentioning a few more interesting facts that are associated with the mineral.

• Desert rose can be found in Egypt, Tunisia, Argentina, Algeria. Minerals are located under the sand, at a depth of 1 to 2 meters. Therefore, special expeditions are organized related to the search for this stone. Such events are very popular among tourists.But more often the locals themselves get interesting specimens in order to sell them to tourists later.
• Interestingly, the stone cannot be exported. At customs, you can get a fine for its transportation. Therefore, such a stone can be found more often on the black market.
• It is especially popular on Valentine's Day. In America and Europe, such gifts are not considered a rarity.
• The zodiac signs for which this stone is suitable are Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aries and Leo. As a rule, these are pendants with such stones.