The Mineral kernite

Kernite was first discovered in 1926 in the Kramer District in Boron, California, in an enormous, underground deposit. Almost immediately, its commercial importance was recognized and it became the most significant source of the chemical borax, becoming an even greater ore than the mineral Borax itself. Many more Kernite deposits probably exist deep below the surface in large borate deposits, and when discovered can be of economic importance.

Kernite does not keep well in collections, being that it is efflorescent, meaning it loses the water in its crystal structure if not stored properly. Effects of efflorescence are the appearance of white powder on the surface and formation of cloudy cracks, which cause the specimen to become opaque and dull. In severe cases of efflorescence, Kernite crumbles into a white powder.