Stellerite is a rare mineral discovered by and named after
Georg Wilhelm Steller, a German explorer and zoologist. The mineral has the general formula Ca[Al
2Si
7O
18]·7H
2O. Like most rare minerals, there are few commercial uses for stellerite other than as part of mineral collections, although it has been studied along with other
zeolites using a dehydration process, to gauge the potential use of their phases as molecular sieves, sorbents, and catalysts. This stellerite crystal measuring 5.5 cm × 4 cm × 2.5 cm (2.17 in × 1.57 in × 0.98 in) was found in
Imilchil, Morocco.
Photograph credit: Ivar Leidus