Our source



For Zechstein Minerals, our source means the connection to the Zechstein Sea. The Zechstein Sea was an inland sea that stretched over what is now North-western Europe about 250 million years ago (in the Permian era). In this sea, the evaporite deposits (layers after evaporation) of the Zechstein era were formed. The Zechstein Sea was connected to the Tethys Ocean by close connections in the south. 


_____________________


“The Zechstein source in Veendam belongs to all of us. A world-unique source that we should be proud of and use sparingly.”


Kaart

The world-unique Zechstein source contains the purest natural mineral Bischofite. This is the combination of magnesium chloride and hexahydrate (MgCl2 · 6H2O)

The Zechstein Sea existed about 250 million years ago and is the same sea from which life on land evolved.

The Zechstein Sea has undergone 5 cycles of flood and drought over a period of several million years.

The Zechstein Sea is located in the Northwest of Europe, at a depth of about 1600 metres.

The Bischofite mineral is extracted by solution mining with a low environmental impact.

The density of the salt solution (magnesium oil) is higher than 1.30 kg / l (approx. 31%).

Magnesium and life


Magnesium is essential for life. Magnesium chloride that crystallised from the ancient Zechstein Sea 250 million years ago is an immense natural health treasure that we should cherish. We all still carry the old inner sea within us in the form of fluid that surrounds our cells. 



“In addition to oxygen and water, magnesium is a life essential. Magnesium plays a role in more than 300 of our body processes.“

Formation of Bischofite


The diagram you see shows how the various salts crystallised as evaporites from the seawater.

The so-called carbonates and later gypsum-like compounds are formed first, followed by table salt (NaCl). Subsequently, if the evaporation can continue and little fresh water is supplied, only the magnesium salts such as Epsom salts will precipitate, followed by Carnalite. Maintaining the most favourable conditions over thousands of years will eventually leave a magnesium chloride salt solution. Since this highly concentrated magnesium chloride solution was gathering from miles around near Veendam, it was able to crystallise there into the most unique natural mineral Bischofite. Given the layer thickness of more than 20 metres at a depth of about 1600 m, these layers have become available to us with the most modern technology.

Zout piramide Bischofiet