Aragonite (GEM crystal) (ex Colin Manlove Collection)

Item Description

Aragonite typically is not found in fine quality euhedral crystals. A lot of Aragonite you'll see is either massive or cryptocrystalline, and well-formed crystals are typically small. Additionally the vast majority of Aragonite around the world is opaque or translucent at best. The crystals from the Číčov Hill locality in the Czech Republic are some of the finest individual examples of the species extant for the simple fact that they are remarkably sharp, lustrous and textbook in form, but when you throw in the fact that they are GEMMY to boot, they immediately rise to the upper tiers of the species in terms of quality. This piece is a good representative example of the material with a soft golden color, along with sharp, smooth faces and noteworthy internal gemminess. The piece is complete all around, but the termination is a bit crude, where it clearly must have grown against the pocket wall. A good specimen of this old classic material. These crystals were often faceted into gemstones due to the fact that gem grade Aragonite of this size is seldom seen on the market, so good crystals are often hard to find. From the collection of Colin Manlove.