5 in Pink Halite Crystals - Trona, California

Halite is a common form of salt. In fact, if you look at salt crystals under a microscope, you will see similar cube crystals. These crystals form when the mineral Sodium Chloride evaporates quickly from the shallow brine ponds near Trona, California. Why are California Halite Crystals PINK? Microscopic halophilic (a salt loving) bacteria live in this highly concentrated brine and when they die, they contribute dark red coloring matter to the brine. As summer ends and the pools dry up, the brine turns a darker and darker shade of red, occasionally reaching the color of a fine port or burgundy wine. The salt crystals trap some of this red matter as they grow, so that you can find salt with a wide range of colors, from pure white to pale pink to a dark cranberry magenta.