Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Which minerals contain calcium sulfate?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
calcium
The chemical element calcium is the most abundant metallic element in the human body.
Calcium sulfate () is a naturally occurring salt that is primarily found in the following minerals:
- Gypsum: This is the hydrated form of calcium sulfate (). It is a common sulfate mineral of significant commercial importance, often found in sedimentary formations and associated with other evaporite minerals.12
- Anhydrite: This is the anhydrous form of calcium sulfate (), meaning it contains no water of crystallization. It is a major rock-forming mineral frequently found in association with gypsum in evaporite deposits.3
Additionally, plaster of paris is a hemihydrate form of calcium sulfate () produced by heating gypsum.42