Aragonite For Sale

Aragonite is a calcium carbonate mineral that is a paramorph of calcite, meaning the two share a chemical composition but have different crystal structures. It is translucent or white when free of impurities, but when impurities are present it can vary between yellow, green, pink, blue, purple, red-orange, and brown. Aragonite is a collector favorite because of the wide variety of crystal forms it takes; from colorful globular crusts to towering botryoidal stalactites and branching Flos Ferri trees! Aragonite is the perfect mineral for collectors who enjoy flashy colors and mysterious cave structures.

114 Items ($5 to $895)

Cave Calcite Stalactite with Fluorescent Calcite - Wenshan Mine #223524

4.7" Cave Calcite Stalactite with Fluorescent Calcite - Wenshan Mine

$895

Cave Calcite Stalactite with Fluorescent Calcite - Wenshan Mine #223542

5.2" Cave Calcite Stalactite with Fluorescent Calcite - Wenshan Mine

$295

Sparkling Cave Calcite (Aragonite) Formation - Potosi Mine, Mexico #293708

8.9" Sparkling Cave Calcite (Aragonite) Formation - Potosi Mine, Mexico

$245

Sparkling Cave Calcite (Aragonite) Formation - Potosi Mine, Mexico #277454

6.8" Sparkling Cave Calcite (Aragonite) Formation - Potosi Mine, Mexico

$225

Sparkling Cave Calcite (Aragonite) Formation - Potosi Mine, Mexico #238280

8.8" Sparkling Cave Calcite (Aragonite) Formation - Potosi Mine, Mexico

$225

Purple, Twinned Aragonite Crystal Cluster - Spain #280776

2.3" Purple, Twinned Aragonite Crystal Cluster - Spain

$195

Cave Calcite Stalactites with Fluorescent Calcite - Wenshan Mine #223532

4.3" Cave Calcite Stalactites with Fluorescent Calcite - Wenshan Mine

$175

Sparkling Cave Calcite (Aragonite) Formation - Potosi Mine, Mexico #277446

6.3" Sparkling Cave Calcite (Aragonite) Formation - Potosi Mine, Mexico

$145

Cave Calcite Stalactite with Fluorescent Calcite - Wenshan Mine #223544

4.8" Cave Calcite Stalactite with Fluorescent Calcite - Wenshan Mine

$145

Sparkling Cave Calcite (Aragonite) Formation - Potosi Mine, Mexico #277449

5.4" Sparkling Cave Calcite (Aragonite) Formation - Potosi Mine, Mexico

$135

Sparkling Cave Calcite (Aragonite) Formation - Potosi Mine, Mexico #293705

5.85" Sparkling Cave Calcite (Aragonite) Formation - Potosi Mine, Mexico

$115

Unique, Fluorescent Cave Calcite Formation - Wenshan Mine #223545

3.7" Unique, Fluorescent Cave Calcite Formation - Wenshan Mine

$99

Intricate, Fluorescent Aragonite Formation - Nevada #284836

3.3" Intricate, Fluorescent Aragonite Formation - Nevada

$69

Blue-Green Aragonite Aggregation - Wenshan Mine, China #218009

2.8" Blue-Green Aragonite Aggregation - Wenshan Mine, China

$49

Blue-Green Aragonite Aggregation - Wenshan Mine, China #218006

3.3" Blue-Green Aragonite Aggregation - Wenshan Mine, China

$49

Blue-Green Aragonite Aggregation - Wenshan Mine, China #218010

2.5" Blue-Green Aragonite Aggregation - Wenshan Mine, China

$45

Blue-Green Aragonite Aggregation - Wenshan Mine, China #218005

2.5" Blue-Green Aragonite Aggregation - Wenshan Mine, China

$45

White and Teal Aragonite Formation - Pilhuatepec, Mexico #242666

3.3" White and Teal Aragonite Formation - Pilhuatepec, Mexico

$39

Polished Banded Aragonite Decorative Dishes - Rectangle #251197

8" Polished Banded Aragonite Decorative Dishes - Rectangle

$30.00 (Bulk Discounts)

Polished Banded Aragonite Decorative Dishes - Round #251198

8" Polished Banded Aragonite Decorative Dishes - Round

$30.00 (Bulk Discounts)

Polished Banded Aragonite Decorative Dishes #269653

6" Polished Banded Aragonite Decorative Dishes

$20.00 (Bulk Discounts)

White and Teal Aragonite Formation - Pilhuatepec, Mexico #242650

1.5" White and Teal Aragonite Formation - Pilhuatepec, Mexico

$19

White and Teal Aragonite Formation - Pilhuatepec, Mexico #242651

2" White and Teal Aragonite Formation - Pilhuatepec, Mexico

$19

Polished, Green (Jade) Onyx Palm Stone - Afghanistan #250632

2.7" Polished, Green (Jade) Onyx Palm Stone - Afghanistan

$15

Polished, Green (Jade) Onyx Palm Stone - Afghanistan #250634

3" Polished, Green (Jade) Onyx Palm Stone - Afghanistan

$15

Twinned Aragonite Crystal Cluster - Minglanilla, Spain #244853

2.4" Twinned Aragonite Crystal Cluster - Minglanilla, Spain

$15

Purple, Twinned Aragonite Crystal - Valencia, Spain #254679

.5" Purple, Twinned Aragonite Crystal - Valencia, Spain

$12

Purple, Twinned Aragonite Crystal - Valencia, Spain #254678

.45" Purple, Twinned Aragonite Crystal - Valencia, Spain

$12

Polished, Green (Jade) Onyx Palm Stone - Afghanistan #250633

3.15" Polished, Green (Jade) Onyx Palm Stone - Afghanistan

$12

Polished, Green (Jade) Onyx Palm Stone - Afghanistan #250630

2.8" Polished, Green (Jade) Onyx Palm Stone - Afghanistan

$12

More About Aragonite

Aragonite is a calcium carbonate mineral that forms primarily through precipitation from groundwater. It is a paramorph of calcite, which means that the two share a chemical composition but have different crystal structures. Aragonite varies in color depending on impurities. Traditionally, it is translucent or white when free of impurities, but when impurities are present, it can vary between yellow, green, pink, blue, purple, red-orange, and brown. Aragonite is a collector favorite because of the wide variety of crystal forms it takes; from colorful, globular crusts to towering botryoidal stalactites and branching Flos Ferri trees.! Aragonite is also present in mineral replacement within an assortment of fossils, including ammonites and other molluscs. However, fossil mineralizations will are most often calcite given aragonite's metastable qualities. Aragonite is most frequently used now in the aquarium trade as a substrate. This mineral is vital for many organisms in reef environments and is also very adept at maintaining the correct pH in saltwater tanks. A piece of aragonite sitting on your best display shelf also allows you to view the wondrous sights of cave exploration from the comfort of your own home!

Aragonite Vs. Calcite

Aragonite is a paramorph of calcite: though both have the same chemical composition of CaCO3, they have different crystallization structures. Where calcite will form trigonal crystals, aragonite forms orthorhombic crystals. Aragonite also forms at higher pressures than calcite and is therefore considered a metastable variety of calcium carbonate. Metastability implies that at standard temperature and pressure, aragonite will pseudomorph to calcite over the course of 100 years or so. In fact, a lot of the aragonite on the market is actually calcite after aragonite, meaning that the outer layer is calcite that is a pseudomorph of existing aragonite. This, in turn, makes true aragonite less common.

Important Varieties Of Aragonite

There are two varieties that are worth mentioning: banded aragonite and cave calcite. Banded aragonite is a variety that typically involves layering of impure aragonite with another mineral, most often, calcite. When these specimens are polished they highlight a striking natural striping pattern. Cave calcite is the name given explicitly to aragonite that forms funky speleothems (stalactites and stalagmites) within cave environments. The name is a misnomer, since these formations are typically composed of aragonite, though many are calcite pseudomorphs. Other names for this variety are cave popcorn and coralloids.

How Does Aragonite Form?

It typically forms in low-temperature hydrothermal veins and from groundwater seepage in limestone-rich areas. It is also known to form in hot springs as precipitates from chemicals in sedimentary rock. Precipitation is the major vehicle that forms aragonite in most instances, especially in cave systems. Aragonite is also found in the shells of many organisms, including clams, oysters, and certain corals, which use it as skeletal material. It is one of the primary elements that make up the shells of marine organisms, which explains why it is so often found in fossilized sea creatures.

Where Is Aragonite Found?

The type locality comes from Molina de Aragon, Spain, which is where the mineral received its name. Specimens from this location and nearby France are large twinned trillings that occur associated with gypsum in Triassic-aged formations. Premium Flos Ferri specimens are found in mines in Austria, England, and the Czech Republic. China has recently emerged as a producer of large trillings, but their most attractive specimens are sky-blue, bubbly crusts that come from hot spring-like locales. Phenomenal red-orange stalactites and cave calcite varieties are coming out of mines in Peru and the southern United States, such as Arizona and California.

Common Associations

By far the most common associate of aragonite is calcite, because of their compositional relationship. Other notable associations are quartz, azurite, gypsum, chalcopyrite and albite.

Featured Photos

Sky-Blue, Botryoidal Aragonite Formation - Yunnan Province, China #184507

Sparkling Cave Calcite (Aragonite) Formation - Potosi Mine, Mexico #174467

Aragonite Twinned Crystal Cluster - Morocco #122197