Judging quality
Moroccan sputnik clusters should have complete, undamaged radiating arms. Blue aragonite is usually genuine but check for dye at contact points.
Carbonate
Aragonite
Chemically identical to calcite but with a different crystal structure, aragonite grows in radiating sputnik clusters, coral-like sprays and the nacre of shells.
Care
Slightly harder than calcite but still acid-sensitive. Dust dry.
History & lore
Aragonite is the mineral of pearl and mother-of-pearl, laid down by molluscs in microscopic tiles.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Aragonite
- What is Aragonite?
- Chemically identical to calcite but with a different crystal structure, aragonite grows in radiating sputnik clusters, coral-like sprays and the nacre of shells.
- How hard is Aragonite and what is it made of?
- Aragonite is a Carbonate-family mineral with the composition CaCO3. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic system and rates 3.5-4 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in brown, orange, white, blue.
- Where does Aragonite come from?
- Notable localities for Aragonite include Morocco, Spain, Namibia, China.
- How do you tell good Aragonite from filler?
- Moroccan sputnik clusters should have complete, undamaged radiating arms. Blue aragonite is usually genuine but check for dye at contact points.
- How do you care for Aragonite?
- Slightly harder than calcite but still acid-sensitive. Dust dry.
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.