Glitter Mine
Please Respect This Active Mining Claim

History of the Glitter Mine
The “Glitter Mine” is an active mining claim issued by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) governed by the General Mining Act of 1872, as amended. Feller Stone holds the claim and has the exclusive rights to remove selenite for the purposes of commercial sales. Feller Stone in Veyo, Utah, sells this selenite as “Utah Ice.”

What is Selenite?
This mine contains a deposit of transparent, crystalline gypsum called selenite (CaSO₄ · 2H₂O).

All varieties of gypsum are very soft minerals. In fact, the most important identifying characteristic of gypsum is its softness. If you find a clear mineral, try scratching it with your fingernail.

Gypsum has a hardness of 2 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, which is softer than your fingernail. Other transparent minerals, such as quartz and varieties of mica, are harder than a fingernail and will not be scratched.

How Does Gypsum Form?
Gypsum is commonly formed in highly evaporative environments, such as closed-basin lakes. In these lakes, a water source terminates in the lake basin, bringing dissolved ions with it.

As water evaporates, minerals precipitate out of the water and form solid salts, including calcite, gypsum, and halite (table salt). An example of this type of environment is the Great Salt Lake.

This selenite was deposited as part of the Moenkopi Formation during the early Triassic period, about 240 million years ago. At this time, a large basin covered the southern portion of Utah and northern Arizona.

Guidelines for Visiting
Digging and mining tools are prohibited. This includes hammers, picks, shovels, machinery, etc.
For your safety, do not go near or in the mine’s pit.
Please help keep the site free of trash.
For your safety and the safety of others, do not shoot near the mine.

Note: There are no facilities at the site. You are also not supposed to use tools (hammers, shovels, etc.) for excavation. On our visit, we found those weren't necessary, though some people were using them. Please respect the site rules to keep it open for future visitors. We visited on a Sunday afternoon, and the place was quite busy with kids and adults a like enjoying the hunt for the perfect crystal specimen.

They ask for a fee for rocks taken, payable (in 2025) via Venmo. Please support the owner of the claim by paying for rocks you take home.