Aragonite is a mineral with a hardness of 4 out of 10 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness [?]. These Orthorhombicly structured gems are made of calcium carbonate, their full chemical compound being CaCO3.

Aragonite is made from calcium carbonate and found near sedimentary rocks.

Colors include clear (when free from impurities), yellow, blue, and even pink.

Aragonite can be found in Turkey, France, United States,the bahamas and many other places around the world.

Aragonite sand isn't necessarily mined but rather gathered from locations in and around reef systems. This sand is then stored and packaged as living sand, and sold.

The specific gravity [?] for Aragonite is 2.94, it's refractive index [?] is 1.53-1.68, and it's double refraction [?] is 0.155.

History

Has historically been used in reef systems naturally.

Industrial Usages

Is used heavily in fish tanks, reef systems, allowing proper bacteria to thrive and keeps the tank's pH close to its natural level

Aragonite "sand" is considered live sand, as it contains many of the micro organisms that are required for a properly functioning marine ecosystem.

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Terms

Double Refraction or dr is the ability of a mineral to separate a refracted ray of light into 2 rays. If held over an image or text it will display the object 2x its original size.

Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness is the standard used to categorize a mineral's ability to resist scratching. It gets its name from Friedrich Mohs, the German geologist who first created the scale.

RI or Refractive Index defines light's ability to move through the mineral or in a general sense, any material.

SG or Specific Gravity is the ratio of the weight of any substance to that of pure water at temperature of 3.98°C(39.2°F) and standard atmospheric pressure. This is important to note when actively seeking these minerals in the wild. Minerals with a higher SG will settle below material with a lower sg over time.