The Himalayan salt beds formed in the Jurassic era when large seas dried out. The massive salt flats where covered up through the ages, they became locked deep in the earth. Local weather, erosion and water leached minerals into the berried salt, imparting minerals color and taste. This gourmet salt is pure, hand-mined deep inside the pristine Himalayan mountains. The high mineral content of the Himalayan salt crystals range in color from sheer white to varying shades of pink to deep reds. The darker the color the more minerals are in the salt.