help id'ing this rock

[saja]

please help me to identify this rock
l found alot of these rocks not too far from the beach about 500m.most the area covers with this type of rocks.
the mountain nearby is from gypsum

 

[saja]

Is it calcite ?

 

[Dave J.]

My guess, either gypsum or calcite, color from hematite staining (common in these minerals). Gypsum is soft and easily crushed. Calcite is moderately hard but not as hard as quartz with which it is often confused.

 

[saja]

Thank you Dave J. for sharing your information. I am still confused. how could make sure what is it? calcite or gypsum?is gypsum found in different colors? because I Can see many colors as orange red ,creamy white ,brown , black.
The area before many years was sea because the sea not too far ,

regards ..

 

[Dave J.]

Thank you Dave J. for sharing your information. I am still confused. how could make sure what is it? calcite or gypsum?is gypsum found in different colors? because I Can see many colors as orange red ,creamy white ,brown , black.
The area before many years was sea because the sea not too far ,

regards ..

Those are the conditions under which gypsum most commonly forms. Gypsum is soft, easily scratched or crushed. Usually the crystal form makes it easy to identify at a glance, but this is not always the case.

Calcite is a hard rock, often easily confused with quartz although not as hard as quartz.

Gypsum, calcite, and quartz can be almost any color or degree of transparency. Although gypsum is most often clear or white, it's also common to find it colored yellow, brown, or red from iron oxides and hydroxides.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsum Note that gypsum can take many different forms completely different in appearance, but all forms are easily scratched or crushed. It's among the softest of all common minerals.

http://www.kidzrocks.com/v/vspfiles/photos/kidzkit-Gypsum-2.jpg This sample looks a bit like yours.

I live not far from White Sands, New Mexico. http://diarytraveler.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/white-sands-new-mexico-700x465.jpg
This is the largest gypsum dune field on the planet. The gypsum was not formed by fractional evaporation of an inland sea, it was formed by sulfur from volcanic activity converting limestone (a form of calcite) to gypsum.

 

[Dave J.]

Is it calcite ?

If it's not gypsum, then it's probably calcite. Can't tell from just a photograph, calcite is another mineral that can take many forms that have completely different appearance. Here's a sample that looks a little bit like yours:
http://www.crystalsrocksandgems.com/images4/honeycalcitehealingcrystals.jpg

See also the wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcite

 

[saja]

Dave.J Thank you again for the great information. really it helps me alot , I appriciate your efforts.

kind regards