White crystal group of the very rare mineral sylhydrite from Oregon (Rome, Malheur County, Oregon, United States of America). Sylhydrite is a mineral with a composition similar to quartz but thousands of times rarer than quartz! Ex Vandenbroucke Museum collection from Waregem, Belgium. — Photo: David Hospital · CC BY-SA 4.0
Silhydrite
Silhydrite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the silicate class, with the chemical formula Si₃O₆·H₂O.
It crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system.
Key properties: Mohs hardness 1; specific gravity 2.141.
IMA symbol Shy, IMA status: approved, named in 1970.
Formed by the leaching of sodium from magadiite by near-surface water.
It is found associated with Magadiite.
The name refers to the SILica and water of HYDRation in its composition.