Mineral

Halite

Sodium Chloride (NaCl)

Hardness: 2.0 to 2.5 on Mohs scale; Color: Colorless or white (though can be blue, purple, or pink due to impurities); Luster: Vitreous (glassy); Crystal Structure: Isometric (cubic); Cleavage: Perfect cubic in three directions; Specific Gravity: 2.17

Hardness: 2
Luster: Vitreous (glassy)

Identified March 21, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed through the evaporation of saline water in enclosed sedimentary basins or playas. It occurs in massive beds ranging from a few feet to thousands of feet thick, deposited across various geological periods from the Precambrian to the present.

Uses & applications

Used primarily as common table salt, food preservative, and for de-icing roads. In industry, it is a source of chlorine and sodium for chemical processes. It is also used in water softeners and occasionally as a minor lapidary material or for salt lamps.

Geological facts

Halite is the mineral form of edible salt. It is essential for human and animal life. Its name is derived from the Greek word 'hals', meaning salt. Massive underground salt domes can be used as storage sites for natural gas or hazardous waste due to the mineral's low permeability.

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by its distinct salty taste (caution advised), perfect cubic cleavage, and solubility in water. It is commonly found in dried lake beds like the Bonneville Salt Flats, and in deep underground mines in regions like the Great Lakes or the Gulf Coast.