1.02" Purple, Twinned Aragonite Crystal Cluster - Valencia, Spain

The mineral aragonite is named after Molina de Aragon, Spain, the type locality of aragonite. There are multiple sites in Spain that produce aragonite crystal specimens, some of which exhibit brilliant purple coloration. Impurities within aragonite specimens that could alter the color of the crystals include strontium, magnesium, lead, and zinc.

Aragonite is a carbonate mineral, one of the two commonly occurring crystal forms of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), the other form being calcite. It is formed by biological and physical processes, including precipitation from marine and freshwater environments. Its crystal lattice differs from calcite, resulting in a different crystal shape/structure. Aragonite forms naturally in most mollusk shells, and as the calcareous endoskeleton of most corals.