• A rounded lumpy sputnik aragonite roughly shaped like a motorcycle pointed right, with angled handlebars, a flat seat and spherical wheels below. The crystals are small and short, fairly evenly spaced like scales. The right side of the piece is red-brown and the left side is mostly white. The piece is spotted with small white crystals on the surface, mainly between aragonite crystals.
  • A lumpy side of the piece with three main sections of rounded growth. It is mostly red-brown with some white stripes on the right side.
  • The bottom of the piece, with an area of broken crystals. on the right.
  • Detail of the broken end, exposing a red-and-white radial crystal pattern. A white mineral spots the surface, mostly between aragonite crystals.
  • A detail view of an end of the piece, with good bicolor growth and well-formed crystals with good translucency.
  • A detail view of the transition between white and red-brown colors, distinct in areas, with other crystals part red-brown and part white. Crystals have good pseudo-hexagonal form with some flattened hexagons that appear diamond-shaped.
  • Detail of two spherical areas of the piece side-by-side, red-brown on the right and white on the left and sprinkled with small white minerals. The crystals have good translucency and luster
  • Detail of bicolor growth on a spherical part of the piece, sprinkled with with mineral growth. Color zoning is visible in some of the red-brown crystals
  • The piece in a mineral cabinet, showing the color is relatively vibrant and it has good luster
  • Scale image of the piece on a measuring mat, measuring a bit over three by two inches.
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Bicolor sputnik aragonite, medium "The Motorcycle"

Bicolor sputnik aragonite, medium "The Motorcycle"

$18.00 USD
$18.00 USD
Sale Sold out
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Locale: Morocco

Approx dimensions: 3.25 x 1.25"

Approx weight: 228g

 

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. I swear this lumpy piece is shaped like a motorcycle. It has short even crystal growth giving it good glitter, and distinct sections of red and white crystals. One corner is broken off, revealing the radial pattern of crystal growth.

Sputnik aragonite grows clusters of pseudo-hexagonal crystals radiating out from a central point. 'Pseudo-hexagonal' means the crystals that appear hexagonal are actually formed through crystal twinning. Multiple crystals have grown in rotational symmetry like the arms of a snowflake (as opposed to the mirrored symmetry of a parallel growth twin). This pseudo-hexagonal crystal habit is common in aragonite, and produces long barrel-shaped hexagonal crystals.

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