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Mineralati

Minerals

Aragonite

aragonite

CaCO3

Sky-blue Aragonite Mineral Specimen – Wenshan Mine, China For Sale at ...

Sky-blue Aragonite Mineral Specimen – Wenshan Mine, China For Sale at ... — via www.1stdibs.com · Source

Overview

Aragonite is a carbonate mineral and one of the three most common naturally occurring crystal forms of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), the others being calcite and vaterite. It is formed by biological and physical processes, including precipitation from marine and freshwater environments.

The crystal lattice of aragonite differs from that of calcite, resulting in a different crystal shape, an orthorhombic crystal system with acicular crystal. Repeated twinning results in pseudo-hexagonal forms. Aragonite may be columnar or fibrous, occasionally in branching helictitic forms called flos-ferri ("flowers of iron") from their association with the ores at the Carinthian iron mines.

Identification characteristics

  • Mohs hardness 3.75

Scientific references

  1. Aragonite — Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23775 Link
  2. Aragonite — Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aragonite Link