Palagonites from the Red Sea consist of two zones: an orange palagonite which is a mixture of Mg-Al double hydroxide, Al-hydroxide and an undetermined Si-K phase, and a white palagonite, similar to motukoreaite, a Mg-Al hydroxy-sulphate-carbonate. This mineral, frequent in experimental alteration of glass by seawater, is discovered for the first time in natural palagonite. Hydroxysulphates and hydroxides are the precursors of phyllosilicates, generally found in palagonites. The very young palagonites of the Red Sea are the first link between the natural and experimental observations.