Cave pearl
mineral formation found in caves
A cave pearl is a small, usually spherical, speleothem (cave formation) found in limestone caves. Cave pearls are formed by a concretion of calcium salts that form concentric layers around a nucleus. Exposure to moving water polishes the surface of cave pearls, making them glossy; if exposed to the air, cave pearls can degrade and appear rough. Unlike pearls found within mollusks, they have no monetary value at all.
Composition
A cave pearl is composed primarily of calcite (calcium carbonate, CaCO3). Cave pearls are generally not considered to be a type of oolite. Other minerals found in small quantities in cave pearls include quartz (silicon dioxide, SiO2), apatite (a group of phosphate minerals), iron, aluminium, and magnesium.
Formation
Cave pearls form when water dripping into a cave loses carbon dioxide and precipitates calcite. A cave pearl forms when the water is moving too vigorously to form a stalagmite. A nucleus of matter (such as a grain of sand) becomes coated with calcite, and the current then provides a rotation to the nucleus in such a way that it is coated evenly.
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