Blue aragonite. Mineral aragonite

Calcium carbonate is an inorganic chemical compound, which is represented in nature by such minerals as calcite, aragonite, vaterite. In terms of popularity, aragonite ranks second after calcite.

It forms at low temperatures close to the earth's surface, for example in stalactite caves. It has the same chemical composition as calcite, but differs in structure. Aragonite is harder than calcite and is easily recognized by its hexagonal prismatic tees.

History of the mineral

Legend has it that the tears of a girl who was separated from her loved one and not allowed to marry her lover turned into aragonite. Aragonite tears were shed in the ancient Spanish city of Molina de Aragon.

The first mention of this mineral is found in the book of Father José Torrubia, “Introduction to the Natural History of Spain” (Madrid, 1754). In mineralogy, aragonite was immortalized by the Saxon geologist Abraham Gottlob Werner (1749–1818), who erroneously assumed that the city was located in the ancient kingdom of Aragon, and not in Castile. No one tried to dissuade him from his erroneous opinion, and the mineral remained with this name.

Types and colors of aragonite

Aragonite and its magical properties

Medicinal properties

The mineral can be called a healing crystal. If you use it as a healing agent, you must protect it from negative energy. Aragonite is placed either in the room of a sick person or carried with you. It helps relieve heat, inflammation, and reduce fever. Acting as a mediator, it helps relieve stress and has a good effect on the nervous system. Helps fight illnesses such as chronic fatigue. Relieves insomnia, irritation and anger. Helps with hair loss. Warms the limbs, stops muscle spasms and twitching. They treat skin diseases - from allergic reactions to lichen and psoriasis.

This stone from the calcite aragonite group was once discovered by the German geologist Abraham Gottlieb Werner in the Spanish province of Aragon. That is why the mineral was called aragonite.

Werner was let down by geographical illiteracy. The city of Molina de Aragon, where the deposit was discovered, at that time belonged to Castile, and the stone should have been called, for example, castiline. But history decided to correct the geographical oversight; in the second half of the 15th century, Castile united with Aragon, and together they began to be called Spain. Aragonite also has a popular name - cave calcite, scientifically - calcium carbonate CaCO 3. It has a denser and harder modification than calcite. Most often it is found in dolomite and gypsum caves at low temperatures.

The life of aragonite is short by geological standards. After a couple of tens of millions of years, its molecular structure will collapse, it will increase in volume and turn into calcite. Increasing the temperature will speed up this process, and heating above 400 °C will turn the aragonite stone into calcite dust.

A lot of aragonite is hidden at the bottom of the world's oceans; it is one of the components of mollusk shells. It is often washed ashore by the surf: rolled in by water, it takes the form of coastal pebbles.

Aragonite of different colors and properties is found in different places on the planet. Color depends on impurities.

White: very similar to ice, born in Mexico. More often these are intergrowths of needle-shaped crystals or sinter aggregates formed in the voids of the earth's crust after complete dehydration.
Orange: His homeland is Morocco. Cave pearls are found here - rounded aragonite peas over 2 mm. Small ones are called oolites, large ones, larger than 2–5 mm, are called pisolites.
Blue: Here the range of colors ranges from pale blue to purple. The most beautiful ones - bright blue ones - came to us from China. Unfortunately, blue crystals are very rare in nature; they are usually sinter aggregates.

There is a legend about the origin of aragonites. In fact, these are not stones, but the tears of a young girl who was separated from her lover. They were so bitter that they turned into stones.

In addition to those listed in Spain, Morocco, and China, aragonite is mined in Austria in the province of Carinthia, in the Czech Republic near Karlovy Vary, in Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovakia. In Germany, it is found in the Harz Mountains; there are small deposits in France and Japan (Ichinokawa), Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan (Khaidarkan). Quite large deposits are being developed in Russia - Kayerkanskoye and Daldykanskoye in Taimyr and Bakalskoye in the Urals.

Blue aragonite
Physical properties	Color: white, orange, blue, gray, green, black, purple; has fluorescence; silky glass shine; watery-transparent or cloudy-translucent.
Chemical properties	Chemical formula CaCO 3; when heated to 400 °C it turns into quartzite; thermoluminescence is inherent; hardness on the Mohs scale 3.5–4 points; density 2.93 g/cm³; fragile; reacts with hydrochloric acid.

Aragonite is completely useless for industry; it is too fragile to even serve as a finishing material. They say that it was nevertheless used in the construction and decoration of the Jerusalem Temple, but how exactly, we, non-specialists, do not know.

Video on the topic: Description and history of aragonite stone

Still, there were three areas of its application:

jewelry making;
collecting;
healing.

Coral aragonite is valuable in jewelry. It is called the "iron flower". The crystal, depending on its size, without undergoing any processing, is inserted into rings, earrings, or used to decorate vases or boxes. Another variety is the White Sea flyers. These are stars with four rays; they are a ready-made souvenir in themselves and are valued by collectors. It is not difficult to assemble a collection of aragonites; although the mineral is diverse, it is inexpensive. Jewelry with this stone is much more expensive.

The most interesting representative of aragonites is blue, also called zeiringite. The most beautiful blue stones are found in China. And only blue aragonite, according to legends, restores self-confidence to a person. That's what interests us.

Guest from China

Stonecutters cut small vases and ashtrays from Chinese aragonite, and jewelers insert it into earrings and rings. Externally, high-quality blue aragonite is similar to turquoise, although soft in comparison.

Magic of stone

The magical properties of aragonite are very diverse. It calms the nervous system, relieves anger, irritability, and fear, restores strength and gives confidence in actions. If you are indecisive and have been planning to talk to your boss for a long time about raising your salary, buy a talisman and clasp it in your fist before knocking on the office door.

This is an excellent amulet for the home. Branches and small flowers made of aragonite, vases, boxes, polished figurines preserve the bright aura of the home and will help husband and wife reach agreement on any issue. Anger and hatred do not coexist next to aragonite, so there will be no tension in the relationship between parents and children, son-in-law and mother-in-law. Let your relatives exchange talismans - the mother-in-law will give cufflinks to her son-in-law, and he will give her a small figurine made of aragonite.

Do not neglect aragonite talismans if nothing has changed after the purchase; this stone needs time to settle into the home. Soon his magical power will begin to attract coziness, prosperity and comfort into your home, and your financial situation will improve. For greater effect, place aragonite figurines in all rooms, because they are inexpensive.

The talisman helps inexperienced housewives with household chores; it awakens intuition among businessmen and financiers, which allows them not to miss a profitable deal. The talisman will give you energy, and you need a desire to work. Aragonite can't make you work, it just can help.

A talisman made of blue aragonite will be an excellent gift for a wedding or as a sign of reconciliation with your spouse. It will definitely come in handy. Under the influence of the aragonite talisman, both husband and wife lose interest in outside hobbies, alcohol, and gambling.

Medicinal properties

The healing properties of aragonite have been proven by time; it is a component of many lithotherapeutic procedures. The main value of aragonite for many families lies in its ability to increase sexual desire in both men and women. The talisman slightly delays the onset of menopause and improves the balance of hormones in a woman’s body.

For elderly people, talismans made from the mineral aragonite protect against dementia and alleviate the symptoms of already acquired mental disorders.

If you are tired of the frantic pace of life and cannot relieve tension even at night, put an aragonite crystal on your bedside table and you will forget about insomnia.

Lithotherapists successfully cope with various skin rashes using lotions and applications of aragonite preparations - mud, crushed into crumbs, semi-liquid. Including those of unknown origin. The water is passed through a filter made of crushed aragonite, and it acquires healing properties. Why not? After all, aragonite is found in the immediate vicinity of Karlovy Vary and the Baden springs. Swimming in a bath with such water is useful in any case.

Conclusions

This stone favors all signs of the Zodiac, but helps only family people. His main abilities are aimed at strengthening the family. If you are still single, choose another amulet. Don’t be upset, the world of stone magic is huge, take an interest, read the literature, and you will definitely find your talisman.

The chemical composition of aragonite stone is the same as calcite. Their differences are in the form of crystal lattices, which explains the difference in the properties of minerals from each other.

Description of aragonite

The mineral was named after the area of Aragon in Spain, where its deposit was first discovered. Aragonite is a natural polymorph of calcium carbonate (CaCO 3). In terms of chemical composition, 65% is CaO, 44% CO 2.

The stone contains impurities of iron, strontium, magnesium. HCL is soluble in acid, the chemical reaction is accompanied by a characteristic hissing sound.

Specifications:

Due to its instability, after several tens of millions of years, aragonite transforms into calcite, increasing in volume. On a production scale, this period is shortened when the surface of the stone is heated to a temperature of 400°C.

The mineral does not have a specific type - its crystals come in different shapes:

From the above we can conclude that there are no aragonites with a smooth surface - most often it is found in the form of thickets of bushes with white and yellowish stems.

The Spanish Aragon field is not the only place. But due to the fact that the mineral is rare and is formed mostly in water, its deposits are not so large:

Education and types

Aragonite is formed in several ways:

Application in jewelry

In jewelry, aragonite is found in the form of pearls, which do not have a crystal form. In addition to sea pearls, you can find white aragonite, no different from it, ground to the shape of pearls. But the resulting stone on the surface of the earth does not differ in the breadth of its color palette.

The crystal shape in the form of a bud or inflorescence is used by jewelers without processing. This is a rare crystal and its value is very high. The color of aragonite varies. Less common are green tones that have a blue tint. These stones have a dark mother-of-pearl surface and are used to make jewelry.

Nature gives interesting shapes to aragonite - these are flowers and thickets of bushes. Only such crystals cannot be processed due to their fragility. The density of the material is very low. Although its fracture is conchoidal, it is very fragile. Crystals with interesting shapes found in nature can serve as interior decoration without jewelry polishing.

Brown, black, purple, reddish transparent aragonite stones are used for jewelry. Lead and other mineral dyes give them their color.

Rings, earrings, tiaras, and beads are made from aragonite. Bracelets. Any metal is suitable for framing a semi-precious stone. In jewelry, platinum and gold are used to frame stones. It is impossible to fake this stone, or create another stone with its help. When heated, it simply crumbles into aragonite powder.

Magical and healing properties

The magical properties of the crystal echo its healing characteristics. According to magicians and doctors, it helps restore former understanding in the family, relieves women of frigidity, and helps husbands restore masculine strength.

This stone helped magicians in the practice of spiritualism and communication with the other world. Nowadays, it is believed that it helps to improve relationships with children, parents and other relatives.

The healing springs in Karlovy Vary derive their healing powers from calcite, a stabilized phase of aragonite. This is the version of scientists. The springs actually overcome rocks that contain aragonites in large quantities.

Water filtered through aragonite chips can also be “charged” as a healing property. Baths with particles of this mineral in water promote the healing of skin diseases of various types.

The mineral aragonite is a family stone. As an amulet, it only helps people who are married. For single people, it does not have any beneficial properties and remains neutral towards its owner.

Aragonite is a mineral of the carbonate class. The chemical formula is CaCO3 (calcium carbonate). Its composition is similar to calcite, however, due to the difference in crystal lattices, their properties differ. It is part of the basis of pearls, the mother-of-pearl layer of mollusk shells (sometimes the shell consists entirely of this mineral). For this, the mineral received the name “mother of pearls.”

History of origin and deposit

There is a legend about a girl who fell in love with a wonderful young man, but her parents decided to marry her to someone else. Separated from her beloved, the girl burst into tears, which turned into precious stones. This stone was named after her hometown, Molina de Aragon - aragonite.

Only the origin of the name of the stone is true in this legend, since it was actually first found near the city of Molina de Aragon.

The formation of aragonite is due to a significant drop in sea level in the territory of modern Spain about 230 million years ago. As a result, large-scale deposition of salts and gypsum occurred, which subsequently led to the formation of extensive deposits of the valuable mineral. The name “aragonite” itself appeared in 1796 thanks to the German geologist A.G. Werner.

Apart from Italy, where the deposits are still rich after two hundred years of mining, deposits of this mineral are found in some countries of Europe and North America.

But in the thermal springs of Karlovy Vary, aragonite can crystallize on any surface. For example, paper flowers with aragonite crystals on their petals are popular among tourists.

In Russia there are deposits in the Urals (Baikal) and Taimyr (Kayerkanskoye, production is carried out in karst caves.

Physical characteristics

Aragonite is an unstable form of calcium carbonate and over time, under the influence of high temperatures or natural solvents, it turns into the more stable calcite.

Most often you can find white aragonite, characterized by intensity, with the exception of a completely colorless stone. Sometimes, due to impurities, it can have a different color: yellow, pink, purple, and occasionally you can see green aragonite.

Aragonite crystals shine like glass and are translucent until completely transparent.

Cleavage, or the ability to break along certain axes, is imperfect. This means that when broken, the chip has a bizarre and uneven shape. In some deposits, blue aragonite is mined, or the stone may be white with a pink tint.

The hardness of the mineral on the Mohs scale is 3.5-4, which means that it is easily scratched by glass or a knife.

The shape of the stone is determined by the temperature during crystallization. Most often it occurs in the form of radial aggregates, as well as oolitic mass - the so-called caviar stone or sprudelstein. But single crystals are extremely rare.

Healing properties of the stone

Lithotherapists (specialists who treat with stones) use aragonite to treat various skin diseases, such as acne, pimples, and allergic skin reactions. To do this, prescribe baths with water saturated with particles of this stone. Also, such baths will help if the cause of the skin disease is unknown.

However, it is not without reason that aragonite is called the stone of love. Its more significant use is the treatment of diseases of the genital organs. It helps men improve potency and restore sexual desire. Helps women suffering from frigidity.

It is also effective for prostatitis and uterine tumors. For these purposes, the stone should be close to the body; rings and pendants work well.

Aragonite helps older people very well, its proximity will improve the functioning of the genitourinary system, help with problems with blood pressure and the activity of the cardiovascular system.

Some researchers are confident that the healing power of the waters of Karlovy Vary is due to the fact that they pass through several layers of aragonite.

The healing properties of the mineral are due to the fact that it is a source of calcium, which is extremely necessary for humans. So, for example, if you add aragonite to water and leave it for some time, you will get a solution saturated with calcium.

Magical properties of aragonite

In addition to its medicinal properties, which are easily explained from a scientific point of view, the mineral is also credited with some magical properties. It is believed that it helps spouses resolve disputes and reduce tension caused by misunderstandings. If a husband and wife want to return passion and old feelings to their relationship, then this stone is perfect. But you shouldn’t hope that the amulet will return the person who decided to leave to the family; it will only improve the relationship between loving spouses.

According to the canons of Feng Shui, an aragonite figurine is placed in a prominent place in the house, where the whole family usually gathers. In this case, the likelihood of buying a home will increase and the chances of starting your own business will increase.

If spouses have problems in their intimate life or are conceiving a child, it is recommended to install a figurine in the bedroom.

Aragonite helps a person concentrate on completing the task at hand and strengthens self-discipline. At the same time, memory improves, and if you wear it constantly, your bright mind will remain until old age.

The meaning of Aragonite in zodiac signs

The mineral has no special significance in the horoscope. Astrologers do not attribute this stone to any zodiac sign or planet. The amulet is suitable for everyone, the main thing is that the person wearing it is not alone. In family life, regardless of the zodiac sign of the spouses, you can safely use it.

Aragonite is contraindicated for single people. Wearing jewelry with this stone will make them feel unhappy, which will not be able to reveal its positive properties.

Stone products

Aragonite is a precious stone and is valued by jewelers. Particularly prized are complex crystal fusions, the shape of which resembles buds. Such specimens make beautiful rings, earrings, and pendants in which they are used without processing.

The white mineral is often ground into the shape of pearls, which are indistinguishable from real ones. They are great for making beads. For men, rings are made from silver or platinum with darker specimens of the mineral.

In addition to jewelry, various decorative items are made from stone.

Collectors strive to acquire the stone in its natural form. For example, the so-called iron flowers (bizarre coral aggregates consisting of intertwining white crystals).

Storage and care

Aragonite turns into calcite when heated, so for long-term use of jewelry or decorative elements made from this stone, you should not leave it on the fireplace or near heating devices. Dilute hydrochloric acid will also have an irreversible effect - the stone will boil.

In addition, due to its low hardness, it is necessary to protect the product from mechanical impact, otherwise scratches on the surface cannot be avoided.

Video

Origin of the name: Named after the place of discovery - the province of Aragon in Spain.

Types of mineral:

Aragonite coral-shaped or iron flower (flos-feri) with white branches resembling coral. Aragonite pisolite in the form of spherical constrictions. Pea stone, caviar stone, sprudelstein - cemented aragonite oolites. Conhit - the main component (along with chitin) of pearls and the nacreous layer of mollusk shells. Nicholsonite - a zinc variety of aragonite, has a red-brown or purple color. Tarnovicitis - a lead-containing variety of aragonite.

Sample photos

Properties

Syngony: Rhombic

Composition (formula): CaCO 3 , Sr, Mg, Fe, Zn, Pb are typical impurities.

Color:

White, colorless, gray, yellowish, reddish

Trait color (powder color): White

Transparency: Transparent, Translucent

Cleavage: Imperfect

Fracture: Conchoidal

Gloss: Bold, Glassy

Hardness: 3.5-4

Specific gravity, g/cm 3: 2,9-3,0

Special properties:

If aragonite is heated in dry air, then at a temperature of 400°C it will begin to transform into calcite. Thermoluminescent.

Selection form

Aragonite crystals have a needle-like, prismatic, spear-shaped shape. Aragonite often forms crystalline intergrowths, radial, columnar and stellate aggregates, clusters of oolites, and spherulites. Aragonite is typical for karst caves, found there in the form of crystalline crusts, forming helictites, crystallictites and corallites. Mother-of-pearl and pearls are made from thin layers of aragonite.

Main diagnostic signs

Aragonite "boils" in dilute cold acids. Unlike calcite, it does not have perfect rhombohedral cleavage. Some samples of aragonite luminesce in ultraviolet rays.

Origin

Low-temperature hydrothermal, sedimentary, supergene, biogenic

Deposits/occurrences

Aragonite deposits are known in Germany(Harz), Austria(Carinthia), Czech Republic(Karlovy Vary), Italy, Spain, France and many other places