Featured Mineral
Luna's Mandala is excited to announce a new Featured Mineral. The Featured Mineral page will provide detailed information and a series of pictoral examples that will be periodically updated every three months.
These beautiful examples are available at the shop for purchase. Or email luna@lunasmandala.com if you are interested in anything.
Our current feature:
The word calcite comes from
the Greek word chalix meaning lime;
probably because calcite
is most commonly found among limestone.
Calcite is a very common mineral. It is said that calcite makes up about 4% of the earth’s crust ~ for a mineral, that’s pretty impressive! It is a calcium carbonate and is very soft. It is found all over the world and in many forms (crystal and mass). Some common locations include Missouri, Tri-state area, Colorado, Mexico, and England. It comes in many different colors ranging from clear to orange to brown to blue, and very commonly is fluorescent. The prettiest that I have seen comes out of Mexico and has several layers of orange, brown, green and even a layer of iron in between!
It has a perfect Rhombohedral cleavage which basically means that when it is hit at a certain angle it ends up in the classic rhombus shape – all four sides are of equal length. There are many crystal shapes that calcite comes in and it is always amazing to see the variety. There are said to be over 300 different types of crystal formation of calcite…again an amazing number for such a common mineral.
Trivia:
What common stone usually found in Mexico and Pakistan is another form of Calcite?Calcite is formed by “chemical precipitation through the evaporation of solutions rich in calcium bicarbonate (stalactites, etc.) or by extraction through the action of marine & freshwater organisms.” Many common forms of calcite include travertine, aragonite and coral. Calcite usually seeps into cracks and so is very commonly mixed with other stones. Some great examples of this is in the fossilized ammonites and among other fossils as well as in Septarian Nodules that are found in Utah and carved into bookends and animal carvings as well as cabochons.
One of my favorite environments to find calcite is within an Amethyst Cathedral. These are truly impressive as you can just imagine the different environments needed for these two amazing crystals to form.
Metaphysically, calcite is said to be a “world teacher for all of humanity” (Melody, Love is in the Earth) and it can help one to appreciate this most wonderful world we live in. It is also an energy amplifier and is good to carry around when you are feeling great (as then you feel even better!) But beware of wearing it if you are in a rotten mood! Calcite is great for those that have problems absorbing calcium as it helps one to be more open to the exchange. Green calcite is a great stone to help heal infections.
To view past FEATURES, click below:
Fluorite (Archive 1)
Selenite (Archive 2)
Animal Carvings (Archive 3)
Fossils (Archive 4)
Mandala (Archive 5)
Calcite (Archive 6)
Obsidian (Archive 7)
Going Green (Archive 8)
Quartz (Archive 9)
Kyanite (Archive 10)
