Bicolor sputnik aragonite, large

Bicolor sputnik aragonite, largeLocale: Morocco Approx dimensions: 5. 25 x 2. 5" Approx weight: 568g This variety of aragonite clusters earns its trade name from the resemblance to the Sputnik satellite, with crystals protruding out in all directions. The bicolor variety grows crystals that are red brown and a grayish white color. This piece is long, formed of multiple rounded forms and flat on one side so it stands well for display. There are a lot of areas of broken crystals,

Locale: Morocco

Approx dimensions: 5.25 x 2.5"

Approx weight: 568g

This variety of aragonite clusters earns its trade name from the resemblance to the Sputnik satellite, with crystals protruding out in all directions. The bicolor variety grows crystals that are red-brown and a grayish-white color. This piece is long, formed of multiple rounded forms and flat on one side so it stands well for display. There are a lot of areas of broken crystals, including the flat breaks on the bottom. They reveal pretty distinct radial crystal patterns in red and white, showing some crystals change color as they grow.

Sputnik aragonite grows clusters of elongated hexagonal barrel-shaped crystals, radiating out from a central point. The crystal habit is actually 'pseudo-hexagonal' meaning the crystals that appear hexagonal are actually formed of multiple intergrown crystals (crystal 'twinning'). This pseudo-hexagonal crystal habit is common in aragonite! The crystals grow similar to the arms of a snowflake, forming six small pie-wedges (the boundary between crystals is about halfway between points).