Aragonite

specimen number:
8311426

location:
Touissit, Oujda, Morocco

description:
Blocky crystals of semi lustrous aragonite to 1.5 cm in size on matrix. This is the lead rich variety of the species known as tarnowitzite. This is in terrific condition.

The Touissit mining district, located in the Oujda-Angad Province near the Algerian border in eastern Morocco, is a world-renowned locality for secondary lead and zinc minerals. Geologically, the deposit is hosted within Middle Jurassic (Bajocian) dolomites that were mineralized through Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) processes, where metal-rich hydrothermal fluids moved through porous carbonate rocks. Touissit is especially famous for producing exceptional specimens of tarnowitzite, a lead-rich variety of aragonite where lead atoms substitute for calcium in the crystal lattice, typically appearing as elegant, elongated prismatic crystals or complex twins with a vitreous to silky luster. Historically, mining and quarrying in the region began in the early 20th century, around 1920, with the Compagnie Miniere de Touissit (CMT) overseeing significant industrial expansion during the mid-1900s. The mines were major global producers of high-grade lead and zinc concentrates for decades before large-scale underground operations significantly scaled back in the early 2000s as ore bodies were depleted. As of 2026, Touissit remains a classic and highly respected locality in the mineralogical community, celebrated for the unique chemical composition and aesthetic quality of its lead-bearing carbonates.

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