APPLICATIONS: | In cements and mortars, production of lime, limestone is used in the steel industry, glass industry, ornamental stone, chemical and optical uses and as mineral specimens. |
ASSOCIATED MINERALS: | Fluorite, quartz, barite, sphalerite, galena, celestite, sulfur, gold, copper, emerald, apatite, biotite, zeolites, several metal sulfides, other carbonates and borates and many other minerals. |
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: | Cancer. |
CHEMICAL STRUCTURE: | CaCO3, Calcium Carbonate. |
CLASS: | Carbonates. |
CLEAVAGE: | Perfect in three directions, forming rhombohedrons. |
COLOR: | Variable, but generally white or colorless or with light shades of yellow, orange, blue, pink, red, brown, green, black and gray. Occasionally iridescent. |
CRYSTAL HABITS: | Variable with almost any trigonal form possible. Common among calcite crystals are the scalenohedron, rhombohedron, hexagonal prism, and pinacoid. Combinations of these and over three hundred other forms can make a multitude of crystal shapes, but always trigonal or pseudo-hexagonal. Twinning is often seen and results in crystals with blocky chevrons, right angled prisms, heart shapes or dipyramidal shapes. A notch in the middle of a doubly terminated scalenohedron is a sure sign of a twinned crystal. Lamellar twinning is also seen resulting in striated cleavage surfaces. Pseudomorphs after many minerals are known, but easily identified as calcite. Also massive, fibrous, concretionary, stalactitic, nodular, oolitic, stellate, dendritic, granular, layered, etc. etc. |
CRYSTAL SYSTEM: | Trigonal; bar 3 2/m. |
FIELD INDICATORS: | Crystal habit, reaction to acid, abundance, hardness, double refraction and especially cleavage. |
FRACTURE: | Conchoidal. |
GENERAL INFORMATION: | Refractive indices of 1.49 and 1.66 causing a significant double refraction effect (when a clear crystal is placed on a single line, two lines can then be observed), effervesces easily with dilute acids and may be fluorescent, phosphorescent, thermoluminescence and triboluminescent. |
GEOGRAPHY: | Ohio, Illinois, New Jersey, Tennessee, Missouri, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Oklahoma (USA); Germany, Brazil, Mexico, England, India, Iceland and Africa. |
GROUP: | Calcite. |
HARDNESS: | 3. |
LUSTER: | Vitreous to resinous and dull in massive forms. |
METAPHYSICAL: | When placed under pressure this mineral releases electrical impulses and is an energy amplifier. It aids mind to remember information brought by astra level and channeling experiences. It helps the body to remember flawlessnes so that it may return it to the state of perfection during times of disease. Energy that is brought inwards one fold is released outwards two folds. It brings forth a polarizing prismatic energy, which engenders a spectrum of energy to clear and activate all levels of chakra. It is an excellent stone for use in the studies of arts and sciences. Using the various colors of calcite placed accordingly to their levels of chakra across the body clears and activates that chakra and has been known to provide a sweeping action which has resulted in clearing the remaining centers. Clear and Golden Calcite work extremely well for the crown chakra. Iceland Spar has an additional property of double refraction and can be used to be reminded of words double meanings, communication, and cleansing and clearing the outer bodies. |
PHYSICAL: | Calcite has been used in the treatment of the kidneys, pancreas, spleen, decalcifying bone growths, and balancing calcium within the body. Green Calcite has been used to get rid of infections and provides a barrier to diminish the effect of disease producing micro-organisms and it has been used with lepidolite and quartz to eliminate candida. |
SPECIFIC GRAVITY: | 2.7. |
STREAK: | White. |
TRANSPARENCY: | Transparent to translucent. |
VIBRATES: | To the number 8. |
