Heaven and Hell in Ohio

Mr. Johan Maertens presents an audio-visual program about celestine, one of Ohio’s common minerals. Celestine consists of strontium sulfate, and it has an occasional sky-blue color. The mineral derives its name from the Latin word caelestis, meaning celestial, which in turn is derived from the Latin word caelum meaning sky or heaven. The mineral is found worldwide, usually in small quantities. There are numerous Ohio localities where crystals of celestine may be collected.

Crystals of celestine were discovered in the 19th century in an extremely large vug near the village of Put-in-Bay, Ohio on South Bass Island in Lake Erie. The large cavity has been incorrectly called a geode, but typically it is called a cave because it has been enlarged to 35 feet across, and is underground. So we depart “heaven” and enter “hell” where crystals as wide as 18 inches across and weighing up to an estimated 300 pounds have been removed.

We encourage attendees to bring and show specimens of celestine. Guests are most welcome at our meetings, and this program will be great for folks of every age. Covid social distancing rules are in effect for our meetings.