Guide
Calcite specimens for sale
2,731 for sale · $10–$65,000 USD
8,442 in the gallery
Calcite is a common carbonate mineral (CaCO3) that forms in a range of habits, from clear elongated prisms to tabular, rhombohedral crystals. It often displays vitreous to pearly luster and can show a spectrum of colors due to impurities, with the famous cleavages giving convenient three-direction fracture planes. Transparent to translucent specimens highlight optical properties such as pleochroism and, in rare cases, calcite exhibits piezoelectric or reflective interactions when cut or facetting is considered, though natural specimens are typically collected for their crystal form and surface luster rather than lab-grade optics.
- Formula
- CaCO3
- Rarity
- Abundant
- Stability
- Stable
- Collector interest
- Very High Interest
- Classification notes
- Carbonate mineral; Strunz 5.AA (Carbonates and Nitrates)
Key characteristics
- Crystal system
- trigonal
- Mohs hardness
- 3
- Specific gravity
- 2.71
- Luster
- vitreous, pearly
- Transparency
- transparent, translucent, opaque
- Color
- colorless, white, gray, black, brown, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, pink
- Streak
- white
- Cleavage
- perfect
- Fracture
- conchoidal, subconchoidal, uneven
- Crystal habit
- rhombohedral, scalenohedral, prismatic, tabular, fibrous, radiating, botryoidal, stalactitic, druzy, granular, massive
- Gem mineral
- Fluorescent: white, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, pink
- Classic / historic
Buy Calcite specimens
View all 2731Where Calcite is found
Top localities
- Elmwood Mine187 specimens
- Tonglushan Mine154 specimens
- Sweetwater Mine145 specimens
- Ojuela Mine133 specimens
- Tsumeb115 specimens
- N'Chwaning II Mine89 specimens
- Naica84 specimens
- Egremont81 specimens
- Iraí79 specimens
- Jalgaon77 specimens
Guides
All guides
Guide
Calcite from Yaogangxian Mine, China
Calcite from the Yaogangxian Mine is not merely an accessory carbonate on famous Chinese fluorites; at its best it is one of the visual signatures of the locality. Collectors most often encounter it as crisp white to pale pink “poker-chip”…Read guide
Guide
Calcite from Leiping Mine, China
Calcite from Leiping Mine, in the Leiping area of Guiyang County, Chenzhou, Hunan, is one of the unmistakable modern Chinese calcite styles: lustrous, sharp, often translucent to gemmy crystals animated by warm iron-oxide and hematite colo…Read guide
Guide
Calcite from Elmwood Mine, USA
Elmwood Mine calcite — iconic amber scalenohedra from a historic Tennessee locality, prized for form, color, and cabinet display by collectors.Read guide
Guide
Calcite from Dalnegorsk, Russia
Dalnegorsk, Russia: Calcite crystals with sharp, glassy prisms in pink manganoan to colorless forms; a notable mining district with diverse associations and co…Read guide
Guide
Calcite from Charcas, Mexico
Calcite from Charcas, Mexico features flattened hexagonal rhombohedra, pink-to-red fluorescence, and sculptural poker-chip forms from a Pb-Zn-Cu-Ag district.Read guideAbout Calcite
Notable collections come from classic locales including parts of the United States, China, and Mexico, where large, well-formed crystals and pocket specimens are frequently described by collectors. The mineral occurs in sedimentary and hydrothermal environments, often forming stalactite-like aggregates in caves or as scalenohedra and rhombohedra in vuggy hosts. Collectors prize calcite for its variety of habits, the ease with which it forms distinct prisms, and the range of coloration produced by trace elements, making it a versatile and approachable mineral for display and study.
