CALCITE FOR SALE

Where Does Calcite Come From?

Calcite is quite abundant and can be found all around the world. It can be found in sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rock formations, with crystals ranging in size from microscopic to massive. It is a key component in carbonate-rich sedimentary rock and, following years of metamorphism and recrystallization, is crucial to the formation of limestone and later marble. It is also found as solid veins and as well-formed crystals lining cavities in rock.

What Is Calcite Used For?

The properties of calcite make it a very useful and necessary mineral for a wide variety of applications. These applications can be for construction purposes, farming, decoration, and in some cases even medicine.

In construction, calcite in the form of limestone or marble is used to make cement, and is used as aggregate in some concretes. These materials are then used in buildings, bridges, roads, runways, and other structures. Marble has been used for centuries to create statues and a variety of other decorative structures and monuments.

Calcite is also used as an acid neutralization agent in a variety of different situations. In farming, calcite in the form of limestone and marble has been ground to a powder and used to neutralize soil acidity. High-quality marble and limestone has even been processed and combined with sugar to create chewable tablets (antacids) that can neutralize stomach acidity! It has also been used to neutralize the acidity of water run-off from mining locations where streams are acidified by mining by-products and processes.

Calcite that has been ground into a fine powder (most often white in color) has been used for centuries as a white paint pigment.

Types Of Calcite

Iceland Spar - Also known by the names "optical calcite" or "Iceland crystal", this type of calcite is transparent and has light-refractive properties. When looking through this form of calcite, the image you see through the crystal will appear to be doubled, and in some cases different colors. This light ray division is called double refraction.

Cobaltoan Calcite - Also known as "cobaltocalcite", this variety of calcite is pink in color. It owes its color to the presence of cobalt(Co) in place of calcium(Ca) in the crystal lattice.

Calcite Stalactites/Stalagmites - These form in cavities in rock where water has leached through the surrounding rock, picking up minerals (in this case carbonates from limestone) along the way. If conditions are just right, this carbonate-rich water then drips from the ceiling of the cavity, depositing calcium carbonate (calcite) in the form of a stalactite. The floor that the precipitate drips on can also accumulate calcite in structures that rise from the ground known as stalagmites.

Dogtooth Spar - A variety of calcite crystal formation in which the crystals display a scalenohedral crystal structure. A compact aggregation of these crystals can give a crystal-filled rock cavity the appearance of being filled with sharp dog teeth, hence the name.

Twinned Calcite - A formation of calcite in which both ends of the crystal have well-defined terminations.

White Calcite - Calcite that's typically white in color and has no optical properties. While often translucent, this type of calcite is not transparent.

Does Calcite Fluoresce?

Not all calcite will fluoresce, but the calcite specimens that do can fluoresce a variety of different colors. While orange is a very common color for calcite to fluoresce, it can also be red, blue, white, pink, and green. This color can also vary based on the wavelength of UV lighting used.

How Can You Tell The Difference Between Calcite And Quartz?

Visually, calcite and quartz can be difficult to distinguish. Individual calcite crystal structures are different than those of quartz crystals, so identifying these characteristics can assist in crystal identification. When these structures aren't present, which happens in solid crystal filled veins, identification can be done using hydrochloric acid. When a small drop is placed onto calcite, the calcite will begin to effervesce (produce bubbles), while quartz will not have this reaction. That being said, other mineralizations can also have this reaction, possibly leading to false identification.

Fun Facts About Calcite

• Many trilobite species had a system of calcite lenses on their eyes that may have not only allowed them to sense movement of light, but also gave them exceptional 360-degree vision. This unique characteristic preserved beautifully, allowing us to study and possibly learn from trilobites' vision hundreds of millions of years following their existence.


• Calcite plays a role in the natural regulation of CO2 in our atmosphere via the formation and breakdown of limestone.


• Many marine organisms use calcite as a key component of their shells.