Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56247090" class="extiw" title="d:Q56247090"><span title="mineral collector and dealer">Robert M. Lavinsky</span></a></bdi> (CC BY-SA 3.0)

orthorhombiccommonCarbonates

Aragonite

CaCO₃

This specimen displays a radiating aggregate of white to cream-colored aragonite crystals, forming a botryoidal or stalactitic habit.

Aragonite Physical Properties

Mohs Hardness

3.5

Crystal System

orthorhombic

Luster

vitreous

Streak Color

white

Cleavage

distinct on {010}, poor on {110} and {011}

Fracture

subconchoidal to uneven

Specific Gravity

2.95

Colors

white, colorless, gray, yellow, green, blue, violet, brown, pink

Transparency

transparent to translucent

Type Locality

Tsumeb, Otjikoto (Oshikoto) Region, Namibia

Mineral Group

Carbonates

Uses

collector, soil conditioner, water filtration

Associated Minerals

calcite, gypsum, malachite, azurite, smithsonite, cerussite

Rarity

common

Geological Context

Aragonite is a polymorph of calcite, forming under lower temperatures and higher pressures, often found in evaporites, hot springs (as tufa), caves (as speleothems), and in the shells of marine organisms.

Back to Collection

Related Specimens

Quartz

Bloodstone

Rutilated Quartz

Calcite

Apatite

Epidote