Aragonite, like calcite, is a fairly common calcium carbonate mineral. The sample on display, of remarkable beauty, is made up of transparent aragonite crystals with a pseudohexagonal habit and tiny yellow native sulphur crystals, connected together to create a structure of great visual impact. Aragonite crystals also have a strong phosphorescent pink hue when lit up with UV light. This particularly rare specimen comes from the historic sulphur mines of Cianciana, in Agrigento (Sicily). For centuries, the Sicilian mines in the provinces of Caltanissetta, Enna and Agrigento were the most important worldwide for the extraction of sulphur.
