Calcite - image 1

Calcite

Unknown Owner
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I wondered where these wonderful plates of calcite had gone, and then talked to a Chinese connection recently who had some, and told me they were the only ones he had left - and that the mining of them was finished. That is why they have largely disappeared from the market. At any rate, they are distinctive for many reasons. First, the crystals have fine clarity and luster. Second, they have these wonderful pyramidal terminations. And finally, they are sharply phantomed - the first generation of growth being coated with an unidentified mineral that gives them a fine red color under UV light. 11.4 x 8.5 x 8.4cm

Product details

SpeciesCalcite
SizeCabinet
Dimensions11.4 x 8.5 x 8.4 cm
Added on10/23/2024
LocalityChina, Hunan, Leiping Mine

Known provenance

DateCollectorAcquisition price
08/2024Unknown OwnerNot disclosed
—The ArkenstoneNot disclosed

Learn more

Calcite
Mineral guide
Learn about Calcite
diverse shapes, colors, and optical quirks; widely available yet scarce elite pieces from Elmwood and Charcas drive collecting value and display.
Calcite
Regional guide
Calcite from Leiping Mine, China
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 color. The best specimens do not rely on size alone. They have architecture—wing-like twins, stacked rhombs, spiky scalenohedral sprays, and multi-generation crystals where clear late calcite wraps or caps an older, rust-red included core.