Calcite is the workhorse of the carbonate world — common, but capable of producing some of the most spectacular crystal habits in mineralogy. Chinese calcites from Hunan and Hubei rank among the largest and most aesthetic ever recovered.
Key Facts
- Mohs hardness 3 — scratches with a copper coin.
- Bubbles vigorously in dilute hydrochloric acid; the standard field test for carbonates.
- Strongest natural double refraction of any common mineral.
- More than 800 distinct crystal forms catalogued — more than any other mineral.
- Source rock for marble, limestone, and most cave formations.
Notable Varieties
- Iceland Spar (clear, double-refracting)
- Manganocalcite (Mn-bearing pink)
- Cobaltocalcite (deep magenta, Co-bearing)
- Stalactitic / banded onyx-marble
The Chinese Angle
Daye and Tonglushan mines in Hubei have produced museum-quality golden scalenohedral calcite crystals exceeding 30 cm. The Shangbao Mine in Hunan is famous for translucent orange "tooth" calcites perched on pyrite or fluorite matrices.
Found at these Localities
- Oumjrane Mining Area (奥姆贾兰矿区)
- Mibladen Mining District (米布拉登铅矿区)
- Bou Azzer District (布·阿扎尔钴矿区)
- Imiter Mine (伊米泰尔银矿)
- Tri-State Mining District (Joplin) (三州矿区(乔普林))
- Swiss Alps (Alpine-Cleft Province) (瑞士阿尔卑斯高山裂隙矿物产地)
- Maharashtra Deccan Traprock Zeolites (马哈拉施特拉德干玄武岩沸石产地)
- Tunaberg (图纳贝里钴矿(瑞典))
- Siegerland District (西格兰铁矿区)
- Naica Mine, Chihuahua (纳伊卡矿(奇瓦瓦州))
- Příbram (普日布拉姆银矿)
- Boron / Death Valley Borate District (波伦/死亡谷硼酸盐矿)
- Filipinas Mine (Los Chupaderos) (菲利皮纳斯矿(拉利玛产地))
- Merelani Hills (梅雷拉尼山(坦桑石产地))
- Kongsberg (康斯堡银矿)
- Lavrion (Laurium) (拉夫里翁古铅锌银矿)
- Cobalt, Ontario (安大略科博尔特银矿)
- Panasqueira (帕纳斯凯拉钨矿)
- Bisbee (Warren District) (比斯比铜矿)
- Mogok Stone Tract (抹谷宝石产地)
- Chañarcillo (查尼亚西略)
- Wessels Mine (韦塞尔斯锰矿)
- Franklin and Sterling Hill (富兰克林矿(新泽西))
- Mina Ojuela, Mapimí (马皮米奥胡埃拉矿)
- Heqing Cu-Ag-Pb-Zn District (鹤庆铜银铅锌矿区)
- Yangla Copper Mine (羊拉铜矿)
- Shimen Realgar-Orpiment Mine (石门雄黄雌黄矿)
- Xiaoqinling Gold Field (小秦岭金矿田)
- Ying Silver Mine (银矿(豫西银多金属矿带))
- Lanping Pb-Zn-Cu Field (兰坪铅锌铜矿田)
- Erbutu Molybdenum Mine (二八图钼矿)
- Tonglüshan Bronze-Age Cu Mine (铜绿山古矿)
- Shangbao Mine (上堡矿)
- Hubei (湖北)
- Hunan (湖南)
Available Products of Calcite
77 available specimens — showing 12 random
Yellow Calcite – Botryoidal Form – Daye Mine, Hubei, China
Calcite Tower with Pyrite Inclusions – Daye Mine, Hubei
Calcite Crystal Specimen, Xuebaoding Mountain, China
White Calcite Crystal Cluster, Fujian
Iceland Spar Optical Calcite – Double Refraction, China
Chocolate Calcite Twin Crystal – Etched – Hunan, China
Calcite Crystal Tower on Matrix, Daye, Hubei, China
Yellow Calcite Sphere on Gray Matrix, Zhejiang
Calcite Crystal Cluster – Cubic Form – Daye Mine, Hunan, China
Brown Calcite Crystal – Prismatic Form – Anhui Province, China
Panda Calcite – Botryoidal Miniature – China
Yellow Calcite Crystals, Daye Mine, Hubei, China
