5.7" Botryoidal Aragonite Cave Calcite Crystal Cluster Mineral Specimen Morocco

Location: Morocco

Weight: 1 Pound 2.1 Ounces

Dimensions: 5.7 Inches Long, 3.1 Inches Wide, 2.2 Inches Wide

The item pictured is the item you will receive 

Without Aragonite, many of Earth’s organisms could not exist. This is a mineral most invertebrate organisms use to construct their shells and hard parts. So if you have ever admired a colorful seashell, you have already paid tribute to the range of colors Aragonite comes in and indirectly to the ease with which Aragonite forms at the Earth’s surface. 

Aragonite and calcite are polymorphs, meaning they share the same chemical formula but differ slightly in their crystal structures. These minerals often appear together and are so alike that only professional geologists typically differentiate between them. While calcite is currently the more stable and prevalent mineral in modern ocean chemistry, there were periods in Earth's history when aragonite was the dominant form. Both minerals exhibit very similar physical characteristics.

Calcite is a calcium carbonate mineral with a hardness of 3. It comes in a wide variety of forms and colors and is found on every continent of the world. Calcite makes up the major part of marble and limestone. Yellow Calcite usually occurs in massive rather than crystalline form, and the best specimens come from Mexico.

Calcite derives its name from the Greek word “chalix,” meaning lime. It appears in numerous colors such as red, green, orange, yellow, blue, pink, clear, black, and white. As one of the Earth’s most abundant minerals, calcite forms the foundation of limestone and marble and develops in diverse geological settings. Certain varieties fluoresce blue or red when exposed to UV light. Historically, calcite has been instrumental in producing cement and mortar, while its clear, transparent forms have been utilized in gun sights and polarizing microscopes for geological research.