Color is colorless or white, sometimes tinted red, blue or yellow. Luster is vitreous. Crystals are transparent to translucent. Crystal Habits are cubes with frequent octahedral faces truncating the corners of the cube, crystals will often have a cavernous appearance from dissolution. More commonly massive and granular.
Cleavage is good in three directions forming cubes.
Fracture is uneven. Streak is white. Dissolves easily in water, does not powder when the blade of a knife is scratched across its surface and has a bitter taste, not salty like halite. Associated Minerals include halite , carnallite , kieserite , gypsum , anhydrite and other evaporite minerals. Best Field Indicators are bitter taste, associations and crystal habit.