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Read on to learn about the abundant and colourful world of this month’s featured crystal – calcite! Discover varieties, geological properties and the healing properties for this mineral.

Table Of Contents

• GEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES
• COLLECTING
  • Colours
  • Formations
• METAPHYSICAL HEALING PROPERTIES
• CALCITE FOR SALE IN THE SHOP

Calcite is one of those minerals as a collector that you can never, ever say you have “one of each”. It occurs in a rainbow of different colours, as well as an endless plethora of formations and combinations. As this month’s featured stone, I’ll run you through some of the best.

Geological Properties

Let’s start by learning some of the basics about this common mineral:

• It is a calcium carbonate mineral.

• This mineral is identified by its low Mohs hardness (3) and its high reactivity with even weak acids, such as vinegar. If you put a drop of acid (even vinegar) onto a piece, it will begin bubbling.

• It is colourless or white when pure (i.e. no other minerals present). 

• Icelandic Spar is the name given to optically clear crystallised formations. Optically clear pieces are used in polariscope prisms, due to the mineral’s ability to separate unpolarized light into two separate plane polarized beams. Icelandic Spar is also known as Optical Calcite.

• It’s found in different colours depending on trace elements present during formation. For example, Manganese creates pink Calcite, known as Manganoan or Mangano Calcite. We get some beautiful specimens in South Africa from the famous Kalahari Manganese fields.

Collecting

This is a very popular and fun mineral to collect, because the varieties are seemingly endless. You could choose to focus on a specific formation or colour, or locality (a special mine, area or country). Or you could take the wide approach and collect anything Calcite!

Colours

We generally carry these colour varieties in the shop:

• Green ‘Pistachio’ from Pakistan
• Blue from Madagascar
• Clear to Optical from Mexico
• Honey and Yellow (dark and light respectively) both from Mexico
• Red from Mexico
• Orange ‘Twist’ from Madagascar
• Zebra(a Calcite/Aragonite banded combo) from Mexico
• Pink ‘Mangano’from KMF, South Africa

formations

This widely occuring mineral can be found in many beautiful forms, from rhombohedrons to drusy clusters, crystals that are tabular, prismatic or acicular, and more.

One of the most collectable forms is called a ‘Dogtooth’ or ‘Stellar Beam’ Calcite. The official term for the shape this refers to, in double terminated form, is ‘scalenohedral’.

Below you can see two examples of it. On the left is a Stellar Beam cluster coating the top of Blue Lace Agate. This beautiful combination is from Nsanje in Malawi. On the right is an amazing, extra-rare cluster of Cuprite crystals (red) embedded on a cluster of Stellar Beam crystals, with a nice perfect scalenohedral crystal to its right. This particular specimen is from Tenke Fungurume in the Congo.

Metaphysical Healing Properties

Crystals in this family are all powerful amplifiers and can cleanse the energy of a room simply by being there. This mineral connects our emotions with our intellect, increasing our emotional intelligence and bringing clear, rational thought to emotional situations. It’s a wonderful stone for those suffering from lack of motivation or hopelessness. Each variety has additional properties.

Blue Calcite is associated with rest, recovery, recuperation and pain relief. It is a cooling, calming stone that can soothe and provide gentle support.

Yellow Calcite stimulates your will. Excellent for supporting you while breaking bad habits and letting go of toxic relationships. It brings emotional balance.

Green Calcite is a wonderfully healing stone for the heart and the mind. It offers support during major life changes, helping you adjust to new beginnings.

• Combine with Honey to attract wealth and abundance.
• Combine it with Blue to support treatment of panic attacks, stress, and rage issues.

Honey Calcite boosts mental alertness. It’s a warm, sunshine-filled happy stone. Excellent for manifestation work, especially around abundance, wealth and joy.

Zebra Calcite offers assistance in going deep into your layers of being to heal and transmute old energy and blockages. It is a strong stone of transformation. Aligns all the chakras. Helps you integrate soul lessons and opens a path to spiritual awakening.

Red Calcite is a powerful cleanser, and will help remove blockages and stagnant energy. It’s excellent at helping you release and ‘burn away’ what is no longer needed. It bolsters your willpower and gives you a ‘push’ when you need it. The darker to brown shades also offer deep root chakra grounding.

Mangano Calcite is an amazing Heart crystal. In contact with the Angelic Realm, it can connect you with your Angel guides and teach you how to ask for assistance from them. Mangano can help release fears and grief that keep the heart trapped in the past. While gently dissolving resistance, it also increases your self-worth and self-acceptance.

Dogtooth AKA Stellar Beam Calcite clears and activates all chakras. It’s an excellent energy amplifier, very useful in healing and energy work. This is a high-vibration ascension stone that enhances a deeper connection to the Divine, assisting in connecting the physical to the spiritual and a strong meditation aid. Stellar Beam stimulates insight and boosts your memory recall, good for past life and ancestral work.

Calcite For Sale In The Shop

Take a look at some of the specimens, polished pieces and rough pieces we have for sale…