mineral
Kidney Stone (Urolith)
Calculus renalis (Biogenic mineral aggregate)
Hardness varies depending on mineral composition (e.g., calcium oxalate is about 4 to 5 on the Mohs scale; uric acid is softer). Color typically ranges from yellow, brown, to dark red-brown or black. Luster is dull to earthy. Structure is microcrystalline or amorphous aggregate.
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Physical properties
Hardness varies depending on mineral composition (e.g., calcium oxalate is about 4 to 5 on the Mohs scale; uric acid is softer). Color typically ranges from yellow, brown, to dark red-brown or black. Luster is dull to earthy. Structure is microcrystalline or amorphous aggregate.
Formation & geological history
Formed within the biological kidneys of humans or animals through the crystallization of dissolved minerals in urine when concentrations become supersaturated.
Uses & applications
Medical specimen used for clinical analysis to determine underlying metabolic or dietary causes of formation.
Geological facts
Kidney stones have been documented in mummies dating back to ancient Egypt. They can range in size from a grain of sand to a golf ball.
Field identification & locations
Found within the urinary tract and expelled from the body. Identified via medical imaging or physical recovery from urine, often composed of calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, uric acid, or struvite.
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