Iceland spar

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Scope note
Transparent, naturally-occurring calcite crystal used in demonstrating the polarization of light. An oblong stone made of Iceland spar found in the wreck of a 16th-century English warship in 2013 has led archaeologists to speculate that the crystal is one and the same as the sunstone, a near-mythical navigational aid said to have been used by Viking mariners.
Iceland spar
Accepted term: 18-Nov-2024