Aragonite (Cobalt-bearing)

Item Description

A lovely, vibrant pink cobalt-rich aragonite from the Wenshan County area in the South of China. Cobaltoan varieties of calcite or aragonite are uncommon from China and this is a very aesthetic example. Mounded, magenta-pink cobaltoan aragonite transitions into captivating bright pink botryoids of smaller size with color a function of both thickness of the calcite and the color of the matrix. The darker magenta pink portion is related to thicker, translucent layers of cobaltoan calcite in that part of the specimen, whereas the vibrant pink portion is related to the white matrix which it coats as revealed on the back of the piece. We have seen multiple natural specimens with a variegated color, in which the pink ends up dispersed within the white aragonite, and without so much beauty as this piece conveys due to the evenness of the saturation of color. An exquisite piece, it is accompanied by a custom engraved acrylic base. Note that the pink variety is much much more uncommon than the blue, of which there was a recent and huge find.