Bicolor sputnik aragonite, medium

Bicolor sputnik aragonite, mediumLocale: Morocco Approx dimensions: 3 x 2. 5" Approx weight: 288g 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 lumpy piece is half white and half red brown, with well formed crystals randomly arranged. One side of this piece has a clean break, which allows it to

Locale: Morocco

Approx dimensions: 3 x 2.5"

Approx weight: 288g

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 lumpy piece is half white and half red-brown, with well-formed crystals randomly arranged. One side of this piece has a clean break, which allows it to stand on its own for display. It is also interesting in its own right, exposing a radial pattern of red and white aragonite crystals growing out from a white center.

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).