This Specimen has been sold.
1.95" Gemmy, Twinned "Stellarbeam" Calcite Crystal - Elmwood Mine
This is a phenomenal, 1.95" wide, twinned "stellarbeam" calcite crystal from the famous Elmwood Mine in Carthage, Tennessee. This gorgeous crystal is a light-yellow color and has beautiful terminations along both ends.
It has been mounted to an acrylic display base with mineral tack.
It has been mounted to an acrylic display base with mineral tack.
The Elmwood Mine is a zinc mine in Carthage, Tennessee that opened in 1969. It then closed for many years, only to be reopened in 2010. It has produced many world class specimens of fluorite, calcite, barite, and galena over the years. Specimens used to be plentiful as miners were allowed to recover specimens, but collecting is strictly prohibited by the new mine owners. They've gone to great lengths to prevent the mining of specimens, including blasting crystal pockets or filling them with slurry.
About Calcite Crystals
Calcite crystals are a form of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) known for their diverse shapes, transparency, and vibrant range of colors. They typically form in rhombohedral, scalenohedral, or prismatic shapes, often with well-defined, sharp edges and glossy surfaces. Calcite crystals are often translucent or transparent, sometimes displaying a double refraction effect where objects viewed through the crystal appear doubled. They can appear in various colors—white, clear, yellow, pink, blue, green, and orange—depending on impurities or trace minerals.
A notable characteristic of calcite is its reaction with weak acids like vinegar, which causes it to effervesce, or fizz, as it releases carbon dioxide. This property makes calcite crystals a key tool in geological identification and studies. Calcite forms in many environments, from sedimentary rocks like limestone and marble to hydrothermal veins.
Calcite crystals are a form of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) known for their diverse shapes, transparency, and vibrant range of colors. They typically form in rhombohedral, scalenohedral, or prismatic shapes, often with well-defined, sharp edges and glossy surfaces. Calcite crystals are often translucent or transparent, sometimes displaying a double refraction effect where objects viewed through the crystal appear doubled. They can appear in various colors—white, clear, yellow, pink, blue, green, and orange—depending on impurities or trace minerals.
A notable characteristic of calcite is its reaction with weak acids like vinegar, which causes it to effervesce, or fizz, as it releases carbon dioxide. This property makes calcite crystals a key tool in geological identification and studies. Calcite forms in many environments, from sedimentary rocks like limestone and marble to hydrothermal veins.
SPECIES
Calcite
LOCATION
Elmwood Mine, Carthage, Tennessee
SIZE
calcite crystal: 1.95 x 1"
CATEGORY
ITEM
#208782