Name:

calcite

A photo of the mineral calcite

Class:

Carbonates

Chemistry:

CaCO3 calcium carbonate

Color(s):

white, yellow, pink, red, brown, green, clear, etc.

Hardness:

3

SpecGrav:

2.6 - 2.8

Fracture:

conchoidal

Cleavage:

perfect

Crystal:

hexagonal (rhombohedral, prismatic, and virtually all other shapes in the hexagonal system and many combinations.) It can easily be cleaved to form perfect rhombohedrons.

Envronment:

typical sedimentary mineral formed by precipitation through evaporation. Under high carbon dioxide pressure it is stable through most phases of metamorphosis, when the pressure is reduced it may dissociate into a variety of complex calcium silicates. It has been found in lava flows, and is often associated with hydrothermal veins. A very abundant mineral.

Association:

quartz, mica, dolomite, ore minerals, sulfides, analcime

Locals:

| Alps | France | Germany | Ireland | England | Canada | Russia | China | Mexico | Mo., Co. Tn., USA | (just about everywhere)

Misc:

soluble in cold HCl with loss of CO2 , fluorescence under UV light several colors depending on local, high double refraction.

Photos
& Locals:

1.) Reynolds Co., Mo.
2.) Reynolds Co., Mo.
3.) Reynolds Co., Mo.
4.) Reynolds Co., Mo.
5.) Reynolds Co., Mo.
6.) Reynolds Co., Mo.
7.) Reynolds Co., Mo.
8.) Reynolds Co., Mo.
9.) Reynolds Co., Tn.
10.) Bombay, Maharashtra, India
11.) Bombay, Maharashtra, India
12.) Bombay, Maharashtra, India
13.) Bombay, Maharashtra, India

14.) Hunan, China
15.) Santa Eulalia, Chihuahua, Mexico
16.) Santa Eulalia, Chihuahua, Mexico
17.) Santa Eulalia, Chihuahua, Mexico
18.) Caledonia Mine, Ontonagon Co., Mich. (with native copper)
19.) Caledonia Mine, Ontonagon Co., Mich. (with native copper)
20.) Caledonia Mine, Ontonagon Co., Mich. (with native copper)
21.) Caledonia Mine, Ontonagon Co., Mich. (with native copper)
22.) Caledonia Mine, Ontonagon Co., Mich. (with native copper)
23.) Caledonia Mine, Ontonagon Co., Mich. (with native copper)
24.) Caledonia Mine, Ontonagon Co., Mich. (with native copper & silver)
25.) Caledonia Mine, Ontonagon Co., Mich. (with native copper)

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